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NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- While the stock market put up its best first-quarter performance in over a decade, the first three months of 2012 weren't as hot for Corporate America. Analysts are forecasting a 0.1% drop in first-quarter earnings for companies in the S&P 500 (SPX), compared with a year earlier, according to FactSet. While that's not exactly a major decline, it would mark the end of a nine-quarter winning streak. And excluding Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500)'s always-impressive financial performance, the outlook is even more downbeat, with S&P 500 earnings on track for a 1.6% decline. The materials sector is...

It turns out $200,000 is the magic number. That's when you're considered affluent in America. And what you make in your 20s is a huge predictor of whether you'll ever get there. According to advertising agency Digitas, it's much more likely you'll hit $200K if you make at least $100K before age 35. That puts you into the emerging wealth category; anyone older and in that income bracket is considered aspiring. Digitas pulled this research together after the economic downturn, after realizing that the core luxury consumers were the ones who made more money earlier. Those in the aspiring category...

Three Senate Democrats angry about the high price of gasoline propose to raise taxes on the firms that produce it. No, it does not make any sense to us, either. For Democrats, expensive gas is just the price of scoring a moral victory over Big Oil, and American consumers will be expected to pay any price and bear any burden that Harry Reid & Co. inflict upon them. The “Close Big Oil Tax Loopholes Act” is a minotaur’s labyrinth of economic illiteracy, with Democratic senators Robert Menendez (N.J.), Sherrod Brown (Ohio), and Claire McCaskill (Mo.) lurking at the center of...

The earnings rainy season has come and gone. For the next several weeks, it’s a virtual desert for corporate results. But on Thursday, thirsty investors can find an oasis of tech earnings. Best Buy (BBY) reports before the opening bell, and Oracle (ORCL), Research In Motion (RIMM) and Accenture (ACN) release results after the market close. These giants, some of them lumbering, will provide insight into current and future consumer and business tech spending via their various industries. Many may offer some sense of how Japan’s earthquake and tsunami will affect operations or sales.

Fiber optics — a highflying sector in the dot-boom that crashed hard in the dot-bomb — is back, riding the rising tide of video and other data traffic over networks. Shares of optical parts maker JDS Uniphase (JDSU) roared just like in the early dot-com days on Friday, jumping 25% in midafternoon trading after the company late Thursday reported Q4 results well above analyst views. JDSU's stock has soared 140% since August.

Travelzoo (TZOO) earned 23 cents a share ex items, beating analysts' official forecasts by 3 cents, or 15%. But the online travel site had crushed EPS forecasts by 100%, 81.8% and 114.3% in the prior 3 quarters. Revenue grew 20%, merely matching Wall Street views. Shares plunged 17% in late afternoon trading, moving just below its 50-day moving average for the first time since late Aug.

US computer chip giant Intel posted its best earnings ever in 2010 as businesses beefed up data centers to handle services increasingly shifting to the Internet "cloud." Intel said it took in a net profit of $11.7 billion for the year on revenue of $43.6 billion, a 167 percent jump from the profit it posted in 2009. "2010 was the best year in Intel's history," the California-based company's chief executive Paul Otellini said in comments released with the earnings report. "We believe that 2011 will be even better." Intel's net profit for the final quarter was $3.4 billion, a 48...

The bulk of the S&P 500 has already reported quarterly results. But a number of top-quality stocks are still due out this week. Tuesday, Nov. 16 32. Sina (SINA) Shares of China’s most popular Web portal have soared since mid-July. After four straight quarters of declining profits and revenue, Sina has reported EPS growth of 48% and 45% in the last two quarters on modest sales gains. For the latest quarter, analysts officially are expecting a 29% EPS rise to 44 cents as revenue climbs 7% to $103.2 mil. However, Sina beat views by 26% and 20% in the last...

Even without the glamour of an iPad or another novel technology hit among consumers in its product lineup, Microsoft Corp. posted a 51% profit jump as two of the most venerable products in the technology business—Windows and Office—continued to thrive. The software giant's results suggest the standout growth of two of its biggest rivals, Google Inc. and Apple Inc., haven't yet begun to meaningfully hit Microsoft's cash cows. Yet the earnings still leave unanswered questions about whether Microsoft can reap financial success in fast-growing markets like mobile phones, tablet computers and Internet search. Apple, for one, recently showed how it...

Shipping company FedEx (FDX), often viewed as a bellwether for the economy, reported that its fiscal first quarter earnings more than doubled to $380 million, or $1.20 per share, from $181 million, or 58 cents per share, it earned a year ago. But results were a penny shy of analyst expectations and shares fell nearly 3% in premarket trading. "Strong demand for our services resulted in higher volumes and better revenue per shipment at FedEx Express and FedEx Ground," said Chairman, President and CEO Frederick Smith. "This increased demand comes from improved global economic conditions," he added, as well as...

Pensions: The Day Of Reckoning Is Upon Us by: Kenneth Hackel August 04, 2010 The Fall can often be a cruel period for stocks, and although we are just at the start of August, a little advance thinking is warranted. I speak here of the high probability many firms will need to take to both their earnings and cash flows related to their pension plans. September is normally a month for serious year-end planning, including the year’s pension contribution-and in this arena, some nasty surprises are in store for almost all participants in defined benefit plans, of which there are...

The U.S. airline industry is rebounding. For the sixth consecutive month, carriers brought in more money than they did last year. "We are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel," says Dave Castelveter of the Air Transport Association, an industry trade group. "You know we have been faced with challenges like none other." The industry was clobbered after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Then the global economy soured, and people stopped traveling. Fuel prices climbed to record levels. In response, the airlines had to cut costs. They reduced the number of flights and slashed their payrolls. They began...

LONDON (Reuters) – World stocks briefly hit a two-week peak on Monday as expectations rose that U.S. corporate earnings this week would point to a sustainable economic recovery in the world's biggest economy. The euro slid as jitters grew ahead of the results of European bank stress tests due later this month and the yen slipped after Japan's ruling coalition lost its upper house majority in Sunday's election, putting the government's policies to deal with the country's massive debt at risk. Wall Street had its best week in a year last week ahead of this week's key earnings, which include...

I wanted to address this a couple days ago but I’m just getting around to it now. Considering this is an ongoing “non-troversy” for the left and their media, I figure it sort of has indefinite relevancy. At the beginning of this week, the leftist media spent dozens of man hours spewing out the same, tired old theme. That being the fact that Sarah Palin makes money and for some reason the world should be outraged about it. I understand why they would try this trick in the beginning. I get that the left has to throw the entire kitchen...

Governor Palin’s detractors have a rather strange fixation with the idea that she gets paid well for some of her speaking engagements. Anyone who follows news related to Gov. Palin will invariably encounter a story in which her speaking fee is a major subject of discussion, with the implication that there is something wrong with her earning money to speak, and consult. People Spend Major Money To See, Hear, Bond With Gov. Palin People pay big money to see and hear Gov. Palin speak, whether it is a Washington Speakers Bureau paid speech, rally, book signing stop, or other event....

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Aluminum producer Alcoa Inc (Symbol : AA Loading... ) on Monday posted its fifth net loss in the past six quarters, but when charges were excluded its results matched Wall Street estimates. It benefitted from higher prices and said markets were improving, but Chief Executive Officer Klaus Kleinfeld also raised the possibility of strikes at its U.S. operations and revealed Alcoa recently lost a major beverage can customer. "In the U.S. we have about 5,350 employees that are covered under the USW (United Steelworkers union) master agreement. The master agreement expires on May 31 and we...

The list of US companies announcing charges against earnings to cover the costs of Obamacare continues to grow. New arrivals include Boeing, Goodrich, Lockheed Martin, Ingersoll-Rand, ITW and Xcel Energy. Will Congressman Waxman haul the CEOs of all of these companies before his committee for an in-depth examination as well? When the dust settles Mr. Waxman is likely to be a very busy man considering many of the S&P 500 companies will probably announce some sort of charge related to Obamacare. Total announcements so far add up to more than $1.7 billion. See the latest up to date list of...

From stylish boots to high-end denim and contract T-shirts, apparel makers are looking up as consumers crack open up their wallets even though job losses continue. Phillips-Van Heusen (PVH) gapped higher Monday after announcing a $3 billion deal to buy privately held Tommy Hilfiger. A large number of apparel and accessory makers are in the IBD 100 list of top companies based on fundamental and technical factors. 13. Deckers Outdoor (DECK). The maker of Ugg boots busted out to a 52-week high late last month after its Q4 earnings per share — up 29% vs. a year earlier — beat...

Quarterly Earnings Looking Good… Time to Buy? By Chris Mayer 02/17/10 Gaithersburg, Maryland – We are in the midst of one of the best quarterly earnings seasons on record.More than four out of five companies are topping consensus estimates on profits. The S&P 500, that big index of America’s largest companies, is set to break a run of nine consecutive quarterly declines in profits. This doesn’t mean stocks are a buy. The big rally stocks enjoyed in 2009 baked in much of that recovery. However, unlike prior quarters, it’s not just cost cutting that’s driving those profits. Sales are starting...

Even With A High Bar, Companies Are Destroying Q4 Earnings Vincent Fernando Jan. 26, 2010, 12:11 PM Listed companies trounced analysts' earnings forecasts in both Q2 and Q3 of 2009, each time forcing analysts to become more bullish with their numbers. Q3 in particular set the market's expectations bar pretty high after 68% of companies' earnings exceeded consensus forecasts. Yet so far Q4 is delivering an even stronger showing. A full 70% of the 150 companies who have reported earnings have beaten their numbers this earnings season according to Bespoke Investment Group.[snip]

Rosenberg: Strip Out The Banks, And Revenue Growth Is 0% Over Last Year's Depression Levels Vince Veneziani Jan. 25, 2010, 12:32 PM In the midst of this month's flurry of quarterly earnings reports, analyst David Rosenberg sheds some light on the true state of earnings growth. Turns out that YoY growth collectively is very low while financial companies are busy posting record profits. Breakfast With Dave: It’s still relatively early in the Q4 earnings season, with about 20% of S&P 500 companies reporting. We’ll have a better view on Q4 earnings after next week as 130 S&P companies and 12...

President Obama’s proposal to ban most proprietary trading wouldn’t affect regional banks, which are among the top performers on a tough day for stocks overall. Fifth Third (FITB) jumped 10%, KeyCorp (KEY) 7% and Comerica (CMA) 9.5%. All three banks reported losses, but their loan loss provisions were flat or lower, suggesting the crisis is easing for the nation’s regional and local banks. That sent the entire sector higher. As of mid-afternoon, five regional bank groups were in the top 13 out of IBD’s 197 industries.

For General Electric's investors, yesterday's deal to combine NBC Universal with Comcast was more like a burnt-out light bulb than a bright idea. While shareholders were gratified that GE was finally selling off a business that never quite fit in with the company's industrial bent, the deal's details generated Wall Street's version of a big, fat yawn, with shares in GE falling 7 cents to $16 a share. By comparison, Comcast's stock popped 97 cents to $15.91. GE investors' muted response reflected a few factors, sources said. First, there was a sense among many investors that GE waited too long...

Jeff Immelt will no longer have entertainment flops to blame for General Electric's troubles. All during GE's worst year on record, the GE chairman and CEO, along with his numbers people, publicly cited the ups and downs of show business for helping drag GE's once-spectacular results into the mud, analysts said. With the sale of NBC Universal to Comcast, however, the 53-year-old Immelt will be left with fewer excuses if GE posts more lackluster results. "Historically, GE has used the volatility of their entertainment businesses to justify the volatility of GE's recent earnings," said Chris Murphy, managing partner at Goliath...

The major indices broke a mini losing streak with a monster day yesterday. The Dow wound up back above 10,000 when it gained 131.95 and closed at 10081.31. Both the NASDAQ and the S&P 500 also had similar gains. Meanwhile, earnings continue to roll in. Microsoft just announced earnings and they crushed estimates. Microsoft's earnings came in at 40 cents a share with estimates expected at 32 cents a share. Meanhwhile, Amazon and American Express had their earnings after market yesterday and they also beat estimates. Exelon, Fortune Brands, and T Rome Price will announce their earnings later this morning.

The Dow was up until the last couple hours yesterday and then it turned. The Dow went from up about fifty points at the time to down 92.12 at the close. There's still plenty of earnings to chew on but the weekly first time unemployment numbers just came out. The current weekly number was up to 531,000 and last week's number was revised to 520,000. That breaks a streak and keeps the number above 500,000. So, once again, the weekly first time claims numbers gives a very unclear picture about the jobs picture. The four week average did get better.

Today is the 22nd anniversary of Black Monday in 1987 when the Dow lost 22%. While we've had a lot of volatility in the markets recently, I think everyone would be stunned if we had that kind of a day. All three indices were down on Friday and that followed a bad day on Thursday as well. Futures are pointing up modestly this morning. A lot of companies including Hasbro, Texas Instruments, Apple and Boston Scientific will announce earnings before, during, and after the market hours today. Also, Ben Bernanke will give a speech on the economy this morning and...

There's lot's of news. First, the Dow moved up above 10,000 for the first time this year yesterday. The markets all had a great day. That was largely on the strength of better than expected earnings from JP Morgan Chase yesterday morning and Intel after close the day before. The last time the Dow was at 10,000 was last October. The first time, however, was nearly ten years ago. So, it's very difficult to value its current value.

Yesterday was a relatively quiet day in the markets. The Dow was 14.74 points to 9871.06. The NASDAQ was up .75 points to 2139. 89, and the S&P 500 was down 3 points to 1073.18. That likely won't hold today. With earnings season in full swing, the big news this morning is from JP Morgan Chase. They crushed their estimates, mostly through investment banking business. That's not only sent the stock itself up but much of the market with it. JPMorgan shares were up 2.4 percent in premarket trading after the Wall Street giant posted quarterly earnings of 82 cents...

If I ran the Wall Street Journal, I'd shut it down for a week and fumigate the place... At the very least, I'd ban the phrase "above analysts' expectations..."

The markets were up in anticipation of the Fed statement and that euphoria continued after the statement came out. The Dow was up 1.3%. All major indices are up a bit over 1% this morning before the market as well. There's some breaking economic data. Retail sales fell .1%, more than expected. Weekly jobless claims increased slightly to 558,000 up 4,000. Though, that number is now solidly below 600,000. Walmart's earnings beat estimates at $3.44 billion for the quarter and the stock was up nearly 2% in pre market trading. Finally, foreclosures continued their climb in the month of July.

Over the last four weeks or so almost all major corporations announced their earnings, the second quarter GDP came out, and July's employment numbers came out. There's a lot to view positively about the numbers, however there is also still plenty of work to be done.

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- United States Steel Corp. shares jumped more than 14% on Tuesday after the company reported its second-quarter profit more than doubled on prices pushed higher by surging global demand for its steel products. The stock added $20.92 to $166.25 in early trading and, despite some recent weakness, has now surged 70% in the past year. The nation's second-biggest steelmaker posted a profit of $668 million, or $5.65 a share, up from $302 million, or $2.54 a share, earned in the year-ago second quarter. The Pittsburgh-based manufacturer reported that income from operations jumped to $954 million from...

BREAKING NEWS: Apple's profit and revenue surged, as Mac shipments jumped 51%, allaying concerns of a consumer pullback. Full article coming shortly.

Wall Street surges higher after upbeat earnings reports Wednesday April 16, 10:17 am ET By Joe Bel Bruno, AP Business Writer Stocks gain after earnings from Intel, JPMorgan, Coca-Cola ease profit anxiety NEW YORK (AP) -- Wall Street rallied in early trading Wednesday, led by robust first-quarter results from JPMorgan Chase & Co. and two other Dow Jones industrial components. The blue chip index rose more than 120 points. Investors anxious about corporate earnings and their impact on the economy were relieved after JPMorgan, Coca-Cola Co., and Intel Corp. all topped projections. The three companies are among dozens of others...

Excerpt - Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2007 third quarter ended June 30, 2007. Apple posted revenue of $5.41 billion and net quarterly profit of $818 million, or $.92 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $4.37 billion and net quarterly profit of $472 million, or $.54 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 36.9 percent, up from 30.3 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 40 percent of the quarter's revenue. Apple shipped 1,764,000 Macintosh computers, representing 33 percent growth over the year-ago quarter and exceeding the previous company...

PARIS/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - European aerospace group EADS on Wednesday issued its third profit warning in less than a year due to production problems at Airbus, which now expects to post a 2006 loss despite record aircraft deliveries. Extra costs linked to delays in deliveries of its A380 superjumbo and a decision to bring forward some of the financial provisions budgeted for 2007 and beyond, will push Airbus into the red and leave EADS near breakeven in 2006, EADS said. The latest warning concerning Europe's biggest industrial project, coupled with renewed suggestions of a capital increase at EADS to help the...

Wondering about that muffled howl you’ve been hearing the last couple weeks? It’s the sound and fury of feminists reacting to Michael Noer’s latest exegesis, Don’t Marry a Career Woman. Noer’s column, which ran at Forbes.com, surveyed marriages in which the wives doggedly pursue a high-powered career, all the while neglecting family and home. The research shows these women are more likely to be unhappy if she earns more than the guy, or if she quits her job and stays home. Either way, she’s going to be a grump. Her husband is more prone to be discontented if she is...

CUPERTINO, Calif., Aug. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As Apple® previously announced, an internal investigation discovered irregularities related to the issuance of certain stock option grants made between 1997 and 2001. A special committee of Apple's outside directors has hired independent counsel to perform an investigation, and the Company has informed the SEC. As a result of the ongoing investigation, the Company will delay the filing of its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended July 1, 2006. Although the investigation is ongoing, the Company has discovered additional evidence of irregularities. In light of this, management has concluded, and the audit committee...

Registered nurses, carpenters, and technical writers are unfairly reaping the spoils of the strong economy while hard-working dishwashers and janitors get the shaft. That might as well have been the first sentence of The Washington Post’s class war-engendering July 10 article “Well-Paid Benefit Most As Economy Flourishes.” “Wages are rising more than twice as fast for highly paid workers” in the Washington, D.C., area than they are for low-paid laborers, complained staff writers Neil Irwin and Cecilia Kang. “That means the spoils of the region’s economic expansion are going disproportionately to workers who are already well-paid, widening a gap between...

This is the pension squeeze companies aren't talking about: Even as many reduce, freeze or eliminate pensions for workers -- complaining of the costs -- their executives are building up ever-bigger pensions, causing the companies' financial obligations for them to balloon. Companies disclose little about any of this. But a Wall Street Journal analysis of corporate filings reveals that executive benefits are playing a large and hidden role in the declining health of America's pensions. Among the findings: • Boosted by surging pay and rich formulas, executive pension obligations exceed $1 billion at some companies. Besides GM, they include General...

Investors got a friendly package from FedEx (FDX) Wednesday: big quarterly results and higher forecasts. Fiscal fourth-quarter earnings rose 25% to $1.82 a share, beating views by 5 cents. Revenue gained 10% to $8.49 billion. Even better were operating margins, which jumped 160 basis points to 10%. FedEx expects to earn $1.45-$1.60 in the first quarter, above Wall Street targets of $1.43. FedEx shares rose 5% to 49.22, 5% off their April peak. Other transports that held up during the market slump also jumped. Results from FedEx and Morgan Stanley (MS) spurred a market rally. The Dow rose 1%, the...

Toppled from her perch as one of Silicon Valley's most powerful women one year ago today, Carly Fiorina has put together a new life that retains some of the trappings, if not the influence, of an elite corporate insider.

Stocks were in rally mode early Thursday as earnings reports remained in focus. Blue chips rallied after Caterpillar beat earnings and sales targets. Techs also performed well. As of 10:55 a.m. Eastern, the Dow rose 66 points, or 0.6%, to 10,776; the S&P 500 rallied 6 points, 0.5%, to 1271 and the Nasdaq added 11 points, or 0.5%, to 2272. The S&P SmallCap 600 lagged a bit with a 0.1% gain. Nasdaq volume was tracking 3% lower than Wednesday. NYSE volume rose 8%.

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - Calpine Corp. stock closed down more than 9% on Friday after the independent power producer posted its third-quarter results, which it subsequently had to correct, and Fitch Ratings cut the firm's credit rating. San Jose, Calif.-based Calpine turned in a third-quarter loss on Thursday that was wider than analysts expected. See full story. The company then later Thursday corrected its press release detailing its financial results to account for certain charges and items. Among the changes, Calpine corrected its earnings before income taxes depreciation and amortization for the nine-month-period through Sept. 30 to $880.4 million, down...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The following is a statement by Daniel H. Mudd, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fannie Mae: Last December, the SEC required Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM - News) to restate our prior financial statements to eliminate the use of hedge accounting and, to the extent material, to correct for errors in our accounting for deferred purchase price adjustments. Our safety and soundness regulator, OFHEO, also raised questions with respect to our accounting, which has led us to undertake a comprehensive review of our accounting policies and practices. Today, in our SEC Form 12b-25 filing, Fannie...

Median weekly earnings of the nation's 103.3 million full-time wage and salary workers were $643 in the second quarter of 2005, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported July 20. This was 0.6 percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 3.0 percent in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) over the same period.

BANGALORE, July 8 (Reuters) - Microtek Medical Holdings Inc. (MTMD.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Friday said it expected second quarter 2005 revenues to rise about 14.2 percent to $34.5 million. The medical safety equipment maker said in a statement it saw revenue of about $68.2 million for the first six months of 2005, an increase of 14.6 percent over the comparable year-ago period. One analyst expected the Alpharetta, Georgia-based company to have revenue of $35.1 million for the second quarter of 2005, according to Reuters Estimates.

"US economic growth depends entirely on the continuation of the frenetic housing bubble," warns Dr. Kurt Richebacher, editor of the Richebacher Letter. Since the end of 2001, housing-related industries have produced a whopping 43% of the nation's total net private sector employment growth. Obviously, therefore, any slackening of real estate activity would slow employment growth in the industry. Indeed, this massive job-creator could become a job-destroyer. The nation's banking operations have also become heavily reliant on the real estate sector. Mortgage-related assets at U.S. banks have swelled to more than 60% of total assets. As the chart below illustrates, mortgage...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Look for U.S. stocks to drift higher this week as optimism about the economy and earnings continues. But key data on the employment picture, auto and retail sales could trip up the market's momentum. The week is likely to get off to a slow start as investors return from a long holiday weekend. U.S. stock, bond and oil markets will be closed for the Memorial Day holiday on Monday. But activity will likely pick up when a slew of economic data hits traders' screens. Strategists thought the market's mood was improving going into June. "I would...