Earnings

Nearly halfway through earnings season, companies are making profits but falling short on sales. The sluggish economy is taking a toll.

Ford Motor saw profits fall by more than half in the second quarter and Apple profits came in lower than expected mostly due to slowing iPhone sales. What do today's earnings reports tell us about the state of the U.S. economy?

At some prospering businesses like Caterpillar, which reports earnings tomorrow, record corporate profits do not necessarily raise workers pay.

Several big American companies -- General Electric, Schlumberger, Microsoft -- reported weak earnings and quarterly losses today. The question is, are we due for another round of major layoffs?

Bank of America just reported its quarterly earnings and they're better than expected: $2.5 billion in profit. What does that mean for the U.S. economy on the whole?

JPMorgan Chase has just released its quarterly earnings report, and the big number to report is: $4.4 billion. That's the new estimate for the size of JPMorgan's loss from risky trading bets.

Today the aluminum company Alcoa kicks off America's quarterly corporate earnings season. Markets are bracing for disappointing numbers which may last through the Summer and Fall.

After the markets close today, everybody on Wall Street will be waiting to hear from the big aluminum producer Alcoa. The company's earnings are likely to give us clues about a lot more than metal.

Amidst glimpses of positive economic indicators, dismal consumer confidence continues as retail sales figures are down for chain stores in June.

Kate Warne, investment strategist at Edward Jones, discusses why profits are up at Macy's given all the things weighing on consumers, and the latest earnings from Toyota and Disney.