Business headlines about company earnings.
Earnings News
AP - PC maker Dell Inc. said Thursday its third-quarter profit fell 5 percent as businesses around the world bought fewer computers and other technology products.
AP - Apparel chain Gap Inc. reported Thursday that its third-quarter profit rose 3.4 percent as cost-cutting efforts like inventory control offset a sales slump. The company also affirming its profit guidance for the full year.
AP - U.S. thrifts lost $4 billion in the third quarter as they set aside $7.9 billion to cover losses from bad mortgages and other loans amid worsening conditions in the U.S housing market, their government regulator said Thursday.
AP - Barnes & Noble Inc. reported a larger than expected loss for the third quarter on Thursday and gave little indication that the holidays would be much brighter.
Reuters - Dell Inc, the world's No. 2 PC maker, posted a better-than expected quarterly profit on Thursday, crediting cost cuts and new products, sending its shares up 9 percent.
AP - Royal Ahold NV, the Dutch owner of U.S. grocery chains including Stop & Shop and Giant, on Thursday said third-quarter earnings fell 8.9 percent on higher taxes and a worse performance by a Scandinavian chain. But shares rose as the figures beat analyst expectations.
AP - Air France-KLM Group said Thursday its profit plunged in the second quarter as higher oil prices and financial charges weighed on the airlines' earnings.
Reuters - Children's Place Retail Stores Inc's quarterly profit almost doubled, driven by higher sales and improved gross margins, but the apparel retailer said it expects a challenging holiday season.
Reuters - PepsiCo Inc reiterated its full-year 2008 earnings outlook on Thursday and said it would discuss innovation plans for 2009 for its North American beverage unit later in the day.
AP - Limited Brands Inc. said Wednesday its third-quarter profit dropped 66 percent as sales fell in the tough economy. But the results beat analyst expectations.
AP - Shoppers hunting for bargains on food, gasoline and other staples helped warehouse club operator BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. report a 24 percent increase in third-quarter profit Wednesday. The company also raised its outlook for the year.
AP - British credit agency Experian PLC said Wednesday its net profit rose 15 percent in the first half on strong growth in Latin America and a successful cost savings program.
Reuters - BJ's Wholesale Club Inc posted a 24 percent rise in quarterly profit on Wednesday, helped by an increase in shoppers coming to its stores and stronger-than-expected results from its gasoline stations.
AP - The national carrier Philippine Airlines said Wednesday an unprecedented surge in fuel prices left it with a loss of $113.8 million during the fiscal first-half.
Reuters - Ross Stores Inc said quarterly profit rose a better-than-expected 18 percent on inventory management and cost-cutting, but it trimmed its holiday forecast as even bargain-hungry shoppers cut back amid a global financial meltdown.
AP - Medtronic Inc., the world's largest medical device maker, said Tuesday that legal expenses and declining foreign exchange rates weighed down its fiscal 2009 second-quarter profit.
AP - Saks Inc. reported a wider-than-expected loss for the third quarter Tuesday, as the company resorted to deep discounts in an attempt to pull in affluent customers spooked by massive job losses on Wall Street and shrinking stock portfolios.
AP - The Home Depot Inc. and its competitor Lowe's Cos. Inc. both reported better-than-expected third quarter results this week. Here's a summary of how the nation's two largest home improvement chains performed.
AP - Home Depot Inc. gave investors a welcome surprise Tuesday, posting a better-than-expected third-quarter profit and offering Wall Street a second straight day of good news for the battered home improvement sector.
Reuters - Boeing Co shares tumbled 6.5 percent to a nearly five-year low on Tuesday as analysts expressed concerns about the plane maker and defense contractor meeting profit estimates over the next two years, as it grapples with production delays, airlines' lack of financing to buy planes, and risks that the new U.S. administration will cut defense spending.