Earnings - 20th Oct 2009

6:07PM Tupperware beats by $0.12, beats on revs; guides FY09 EPS above consensus, revs above consensus; guides FY10 EPS above consensus (TUP) 44.01 -0.26 : Reports Q3 (Sep) earnings of $0.54 per share, excluding non-recurring items, $0.12 better than the First Call consensus of $0.42; revenues rose 0.2% year/year to $514 mln vs the $486.2 mln consensus. Co issues upside guidance for FY09, sees EPS of $2.84-2.89 vs. $2.73 consensus; sees FY09 revs growth of 5-6%, which equates ~$2.27-2.29 bln vs. $2.06 bln consensus. Co issues upside guidance for FY10, sees EPS of $3.33-3.43, excluding non-recurring items, vs. $3.20 consensus; co sees FY10 revs growth of 6-8% in local currency, and with a 6% benefit from foreign exchange is an increase of 12-14% reported.

4:34PM Cymer beats by $0.19, beats on revs; guides Q4 revs above consensus (CYMI) 38.85 -0.12 : Reports Q3 (Sep) earnings of $0.36 per share, $0.19 better than the First Call consensus of $0.17; revenues fell 16.5% year/year to $92.3 mln vs the $82.2 mln consensus. Co issues upside guidance for Q4, sees Q4 revs to be comparable to Q3 revs, which equates to ~92.3 mln vs. $90.62 mln consensus. Co said, "In Q3, we responded to increased demand that resulted in Q3revenue increasing almost 50%, as compared to the prior quarter. In Q4, we anticipate maintaining this increased level of demand for light sources and Installed Base Products."

4:33PM Walter Energy beats by $0.18, beats on revs (WLT) 65.87 -0.05 : Reports Q3 (Sep) earnings of $0.45 per share, $0.18 better than the First Call consensus of $0.27; revenues fell 9.9% year/year to $278.3 mln vs the $222.8 mln consensus.Co says "Our third quarter performance illustrates the strong demand for our high quality coking coal... We continue to see improving market conditions for our product and we are on track to achieve sales of approximately 3.5 mln tons in the second half. This performance supports our plan to produce and sell approximately 8 mln tons in 2010, with the startup of the Mine No. 7 East longwall in early January 2010." The Company expects to ship 126,000 tons of hard coking coal at 2008-2009 carryover pricing of approximately $315 per metric ton in the fourth quarter 2009. Coking coal production is expected to be between 1.4 and 1.5 mln tons in the fourth quarter, with production costs expected to average between $65 and $70 per ton. "We expect continued improvement in market conditions for the remainder of 2009, Moving into 2010, we are seeing increasing demand for premium mid- and low-vol coals from our key product destinations, as well as Asia, with port constraints in Australia continuing to make high-quality coking coals a scarce resource." Walter Coke is expecting improved sales and a return to profitability in the fourth quarter 2009, driven primarily by increased orders from the domestic steel industry. Capital expenditures were $14.9 mln in the third quarter, totaling $67.3 mln for the year. The Company expects full-year capital expenditures of approximately $85 mln. sales of approximately 3.5 mln tons in the second half. This performance supports our plan to produce and sell approximately 8 mln tons in 2010, with the startup of
the Mine No. 7 East longwall in early January 2010."

4:10PM Gilead Sciences beats by $0.11, beats on revs (GILD) 46.12 -0.69 : Reports Q3 (Sep) earnings of $0.78 per share, $0.11 better than the First Call consensus of $0.67; revenues rose 31.4% year/year to $1.8 bln vs the $1.75 bln consensus. 3Q Drug Sales and First Call Consensus: Truvada $620.6 mln vs. $625 mln consensus; $605.3 mln vs. $604 mln First Call Consensus; Viread $169.7 mln vs. $158 mln First Call Consensus; Amibsome $77.0 mln vs. $72 mln Consensus

4:09PM Seagate Tech beats by $0.11, beats on revs; guides Q2 revs above consensus (STX) 15.55 +0.00 : Reports Q1 (Sep) earnings of $0.58 per share, excluding non-recurring items, $0.11 better than the First Call consensus of $0.47; revenues fell 12.2% year/year to $2.66 bln vs the $2.62 bln consensus. Seagate Tech reports gross margin 24.5% vs 23.3% consensus. Co issues upside guidance for Q2, sees Q2 revs of $2.75-2.85 bln vs. $2.75 bln consensus. For the December quarter, the company is planning for the overall industry demand for disk drives to be 153-160 million units. Gross margin as a percent of revenue to be near the high end of the company's targeted range of 22-26% (consensus calls for 23.2%). During the first fiscal quarter, STX reduced short-term borrowings and long-term debt by approximately $465 mln primarily with the maturity of its $300 mln floating rate senior notes and by paying down its revolving credit facility by $150 mln. "At a time when economic conditions remained challenging we are very pleased with the company's financial performance, delivering strong revenues, margins and cash generation... The company has returned to its operating model well ahead of our expectations of six months ago and now expects to sustain gross margin of 22-26%. Although mission critical enterprise demand in particular has yet to recover to historical levels, we benefitted from our time-to-market product delivery to customers integrating our notebook, desktop and enterprise drives." While visibility has improved throughout the calendar year, the ongoing uncertainty in global economic conditions makes it difficult to predict product demand and other related matters, which makes it more likely that Seagate's actual results could differ materially from current expectations.

4:08PM Cree beats by $0.08, beats on revs; guides Q2 EPS above consensus, revs above consensus (CREE) 41.16 +0.05 : Reports Q1 (Sep) earnings of $0.30 per share, excluding non-recurring items, $0.08 better than the First Call consensus of $0.22; revenues rose 20.5% year/year to $169.1 mln vs the $164.5 mln consensus. Cree reports gross margin 43.6% vs 40% consensus and co guidance. Co issues upside guidance for Q2, sees EPS of $0.28-0.30, excluding non-recurring items, vs. $0.23 consensus; sees Q2 revs of $180-190 mln vs. $173.18 mln consensus. Targeted non-GAAP earnings exclude expenses related to the amortization of acquired intangibles of $0.02 per diluted share, and stock-based compensation expense of $0.06 per diluted share. "We are benefitting from continued LED lighting adoption and high factory utilization and are well positioned for solid growth in Q2. As a result of the recent equity offering, we have the balance sheet to invest in the growth of our business as we look to continue to lead the LED lighting revolution."

4:08PM SanDisk beats by $0.49, beats on revs (SNDK) 21.47 +0.01 : Reports Q3 (Sep) earnings of $0.75 per share, excluding non-recurring items, $0.49 better than the First Call consensus of $0.26; revenues rose 13.8% year/year to $935.2 mln vs the $787.9 mln consensus. SanDisk reports gross margin 46.6% vs 31.3% consensus. Co says, "We are encouraged by improved industry fundamentals and our increasingly diversified global markets, which bode well for further growth in Q4 and in 2010."

8:12AM Peabody Energy beats by $0.26, beats on revs; guides FY09 EPS above consensus (BTU) 43.37 : Reports Q3 (Sep) earnings of $0.49 per share, excluding non-recurring items, $0.26 better than the First Call consensus of $0.23; revenues rose 24.6% year/year to $1.67 bln vs the $1.42 bln consensus. Co issues raises/issues upside guidance for FY09, sees EPS of $1.60-1.80, excluding non-recurring items, vs. $1.48 consensus; co also raises FY09 EBITDA guidance to $1.2-1.3 bln vs the $1.14 bln consensus. Given the high rate of deliveries to satisfy U.S. customer commitments, the co is targeting '09 sales of approximately 190 mln tons in the United States and 21-23 mln tons in Australia. Total co sales are expected to be 235-245 mln tons, including Trading and Brokerage contributions. For 2010, growing demand in the Pacific is driving higher Australia sales projections of 24 to 27 mln tons, or 15% above 2009's targets, with minimal capital required. In the United States, BTU is targeting '10 volumes of 185 to 195 mln tons, in line with '09's expectations and 5-15 mln tons lower than 2008. Peabody's 2010 PRB volumes are expected to decline up to another 5 mln tons from 2009's estimated 138 mln tons, and approximately 20-25 mln tons below peak operating levels in late 2008. Third quarter 2009 sales volumes totaled 63.5 mln tons, compared with 65.6 mln tons in the prior year period. U.S. sales reflect planned Powder River Basin (PRB) reductions. Australia sales of 6.5 mln tons were 30% above the second quarter due to higher seaborne thermal volumes and record metallurgical coal shipments. Australian metallurgical coal exports were 2.7 mln tons, nearly triple the pace of 1H09. U.S. revenues per ton increased 11% over the third quarter of last year due to higher realized prices in both the Midwestern and Western regions. Peabody's third quarter realized revs for Australia averaged $82 per ton, including $125 per ton for seaborne metallurgical coal and $72 per ton for seaborne thermal coal. Compared with the second quarter of 2009, Australian realized prices increased 33% due to a larger mix of seaborne metallurgical coal. 3Q09's Australian revs per ton were below year-ago levels due to lower annual pricing for seaborne coal contracts that began April 1.

8:04AM Precision Castparts misses by $0.09, misses on revs (PCP) 104.72 : Reports Q2 (Sep) earnings of $1.54 per share, $0.09 worse than the First Call consensus of $1.63; revenues fell 27.6% year/year to $1.3 bln vs the $1.39 bln consensus. "From a top-line perspective, overall sales declines seem to be bottoming out in the second quarter. Aerospace destocking is slowing, and our schedules show that we are closing the gap between orders and aircraft build rates. A gradual ramp begins in the third quarter, although some of our customers appear to be holding off orders as they approach their fiscal year ends. By the fourth quarter, we start to see schedules firming up and aligning more closely with current aircraft build rates beginning in March and carrying through the first quarter of fiscal 2011 and beyond. In addition, oil and gas and chemical processing orders are getting some traction and showing gradual sales upside in the third and fourth fiscal quarters. As sales increase, we have every expectation of driving those volumes across our improved cost structure and of aggressively leveraging every opportunity for upside performance."

8:02AM Cirrus Logic beats by $0.01, reports revs in-line; guides Q3 revs above consensus (CRUS) 5.86 : Reports Q2 (Sep) earnings of $0.11 per share, excluding non-recurring items, $0.01 better than the First Call consensus of $0.10; revenues rose 4.5% year/year to $55.7 mln vs the $55.7 mln consensus. Co issues upside guidance for Q3, sees Q3 revs of $58-62 mln vs. $53.96 mln consensus. Gross margin is expected to be between 52 percent and 54 percent; and combined R&D and SG&A expenses are expected to range between $23 million and $25 million, which include approximately $2 million in share-based compensation and amortization of acquisition-related intangibles expenses. Gross margin for the quarter was 52 percent, down from 56 percent in the quarter a year ago and flat compared to 52 percent reported for the previous quarter.

7:38AM Caterpillar beats by $0.58, misses on revs; guides FY09 EPS above consensus; guides FY10 revs in-line (CAT) 57.85 : Reports Q3 (Sep) earnings of $0.64 per share, $0.58 better than the First Call consensus of $0.06, revenues fell 44% YoY to $7.3 bln vs $7.47 bln First Call consensus. Co issues guidance for FY09, sees EPS of $1.85-2.05 vs. $1.49 consensus; sees FY09 revs of $32-33 bln vs. $33.07 bln consensus. Co sees FY10 revs up 10-25% from midpoint of FY09 guidance; equates to ~$35.75-40.625 bln vs $33.14 bln First Call consensus, in part driven by the end of dealer inventory reductions which significantly impacted sales in 2009. "We are pleased with this quarter's profit given the severe economic environment and with our sales well below end-user demand as dealers continue to aggressively draw down inventories... During the quarter, our primary focus continued to be on trough management and operational execution. We lowered production as dealers continued to cut inventories, we reduced costs, maintained positive price realization, lowered inventory, delivered positive operating cash flow and improved our financial position... We believe the third quarter marked the low point for Caterpillar sales and revenues in what has been the toughest recession since the 1930s. We are seeing encouraging signs that indicate a recovery may be underway... However, the world economy is still facing significant challenges. There is uncertainty about the timing and strength of recovery... While 2010 will still be a difficult year, we expect improvement in our top line from the lows of 2009, and it's critical that we manage on the way up as well as we did in the face of declining volume. As a result, we've already started planning for an upturn. When it comes, it can come quickly, and we, our dealers and our suppliers will be prepared"

7:37AM BlackRock beats by $0.17, beats on revs (BLK) 230.43 : Reports Q3 (Sep) earnings of $2.10 per share, excluding non-recurring items, $0.17 better than the First Call consensus of $1.93; revenues fell 13.2% year/year to $1.14 bln vs the $1.13 bln consensus. Third quarter new business results reflected increasing demand for higher return investments, driving net inflows of $14.5 bln in equities, balanced, fixed income and alternative investments, and net outflows of $26.4 bln in cash management. "Improving investor sentiment was the most important factor in third quarter results. Clients are putting money back to work in the markets, driving inflows in equities and bonds, and outflows in money market funds industry-wide. This shift drove the rally in global stocks and tighter credit spreads, as well as a favorable revenue mix in net new business. Assets under management increased $61.6 bln to $1.435 trln at September 30, 2009. Net new business in long-dated investment products totaled $14.5 bln. In contrast, net outflows in cash management were $26.4 bln and distributions from advisory accounts totaled $4.6 bln. BlackRock Solutions business remained strong, with seven net new assignments added during the quarter. Year-over-year, AUM has increased $176.2 bln or 14%, including net new business of $133.4 bln, and BlackRock Solutions has added 56 net new assignments. Our pipeline of wins funded or to be funded totaled $42.5 bln as of October 15, 2009. "The BGI transaction remains on target for a December 1, 2009 closing."

7:03AM Pfizer beats by $0.03, beats on revs; raises FY09 guidance above consensus (PFE) 17.98 : Reports Q3 (Sep) earnings of $0.51 per share, $0.03 better than the First Call consensus of $0.48; revenues fell 2.9% year/year to $11.62 bln vs the $11.41 bln consensus. Co raises guidance for FY09, sees EPS of $2.00-2.05 vs. $1.98 consensus, prior guidance $1.90-2.00; sees FY09 revs of $49-50 bln vs. $48.43 bln consensus, prior guidance $45-46 bln. Co said, "During the first nine months of 2009, we have continued to deliver on our 2009 financial commitments and our longer-term cost-reduction target. Completion of both the Wyeth acquisition and associated integration plans is a testament to the hard work and dedication of talented colleagues throughout the organization. Looking ahead, we anticipate that our broad portfolio of products and increased investment in high-growth opportunities will better position us to generate consistent earnings growth and continue to deliver on our commitments."

6:18AM Lexmark beats by $0.20, beats on revs; guides Q4 EPS above consensus (LXK) 22.57 : Reports Q3 (Sep) earnings of $0.65 per share which excludes $0.52 per share for restructuring-related activities which includes $0.34 per share for additional restructuring charges the co is announcing today, $0.20 better than the First Call consensus of $0.45; revenues fell 15.3% year/year to $958 mln vs the $901.3 mln consensus. Co issues upside guidance for Q4, sees EPS of $0.50-$0.60 vs. $0.47 consensus. The co also announces additional restructuring initiatives designed to streamline its world-wide organization to improve operating efficiencies and effectiveness. This October 2009 plan includes reductions primarily in the areas of manufacturing and supply chain, service delivery overhead, marketing and sales support, corporate overhead, and development. The company expects these actions to be principally complete by the end of the first quarter of 2011. These October 2009 actions are expected to impact about 825 positions worldwide and will result in total pre-tax charges of approximately $120 mln with approximately $33 mln incurred in the third quarter of 2009. Lexmark expects these October 2009 actions will generate savings of approximately $70 mln in 2010 and ongoing savings of $110 mln beginning in 2011 with approximately 60% impacting operating expense and 40%impacting cost of goods sold.

1:38AM Allegiant Travel beats by $0.05, beats on revs (ALGT) 39.63 : Reports Q3 (Sep) earnings of $0.68 per share, $0.05 better than the First Call consensus of $0.63; revenues rose 13.9% year/year to $133.1 mln vs the $130.5 mln consensus. "Cost per passenger excluding fuel declined to $50.31 in the third quarter from $53.33 in the prior year, which understates the improvement since system load factor was 3.8% lower than last year. Please note these figures include bonus accrual, which has increased significantly in 2009 since it is tied to profitability and therefore further disguises underlying cost improvement. Excluding bonus accrual, cost per passenger excluding fuel declined to $4." Co reports load factor in 3Q of 89.9% 93.8% in 3Q08.

Earnings - 28th Jan 2009

5:23PM Trinity Industries reports that it delivered ~7,050 railcars in the fourth quarter of 2008; sees Q1 EPS of $0.25-0.35 vs $0.48 First Call consensus (TRN) 13.31 +0.33 : Co reports that it delivered ~7,050 railcars in the fourth quarter of 2008. This represents an increase as compared to ~6,740 railcar deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2007. The Company received orders for approximately 1,180 railcars during the fourth quarter of 2008. The Company has elected to indefinitely defer the investment of $800 million in approximately 10,000 railcars for multiple lessees in the ethanol industry that were scheduled for delivery to Trinity's leasing company in 2010 and 2011. Following the removal of these railcars, TrinityRail's order backlog at December 31, 2008 totaled approximately $720 million, representing approximately 8,260 railcars. Co's order backlog now includes approximately 7,010 railcars scheduled for delivery in 2009 and approximately 1,250 railcars scheduled for delivery in 2010. Railcars for use in the ethanol industry comprise approximately 1,740 of the railcars in the updated order backlog... As a result of the declining demand for railcars, the Company has idled, or is in the process of idling, four railcar manufacturing facilities. Co has also idled a wind tower facility in Oklahoma, consolidating capacity. At this time, the Company does not plan to convert any railcar facilities to wind tower operations... Co sees Q1 EPS of $0.25-0.35 vs $0.48 First Call consensus

4:20PM Norfolk Southern beats by $0.03, misses on revs (NSC) 37.65 +2.35 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $1.21 per share, $0.03 better than the First Call consensus of $1.18. The fourth-quarter operating ratio reached a record 67.5%, a 4.5 percentage point improvement compared with the same period last year. During 2008, NS purchased and retired 19.4 mln shares of common stock at a cost of $1.1 bln. Co says, "Norfolk Southern delivered strong financial results in the fourth quarter, despite economic conditions that reduced freight volumes... While it is unclear how long the downturn will last, long-term trends point to freight railroads as the preferred way to move goods and relieve highway congestion. We will continue to make investments in our company and, in 2009, plan to invest $1.4 bln in capital improvements to maintain the safety and quality of our franchise, improve operational efficiency and service, and support the business growth we expect in future years."

4:07PM DeVRY reports EPS in-line, beats on revs (DV) 59.57 -1.27 : Reports Q2 (Dec) earnings of $0.59 per share, in-line with the First Call consensus of $0.59; revenues rose 35.0% year/year to $369.6 mln vs the $364.2 mln consensus. As previously announced in December 2008, DeVry University new undergraduate enrollment increased 19.7% and total undergraduate enrollment rose 16.9%. At Keller Graduate school of Management, the number of coursetakers in November 2008 increased 13.7%... Becker's operations were affected by the continued deterioration in the financial services sector during the quarter. It expects these market conditions will persist at least through calendar 2009. Becker remains focused on long-term growth and is exploring additional markets and industries to further leverage its leadership in education for accounting and finance professionals... "We are mindful of the challenging economic environment we face and continue to invest in our growth opportunities while maintaining an appropriately conservative capital structure," added CEO Daniel Hamburger. "We believe this prudent approach to the execution of our strategic plan creates a balance that allows us to make investments in academic quality, student services and further diversification."

4:03PM Stryker reports EPS in-line, revs in-line; guides FY09 EPS above consensus (SYK) 41.05 +1.49 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $0.74 per share, excluding non-recurring items, in-line with the First Call consensus of $0.74; revenues rose 3.6% year/year to $1.72 bln vs the $1.72 bln consensus. Co issues upside guidance for FY09, sees EPS of $3.12-3.22 vs. $3.12 consensus. The financial forecast for 2009 anticipates a constant currency net sales increase in the range of 6% to 9%. If foreign currency exchange rates hold near current levels, the Company anticipates an unfavorable impact on net sales of approximately 4.5% to 5.5% in the first quarter of 2009 and an unfavorable impact on net sales of approximately 3.5% to 4.5% for the full year of 2009.

4:02PM Diamond Foods raises Jan quarter guidance to $0.29-0.35 vs $0.27 First Call consensus; raises FY09 guidance (DMND) 24.90 -0.03 : Co raises Q2 (Jan) quarter guidance to $0.29-0.35 vs $0.27 First Call consensus; raises FY09 guidance to $1.25-1.32 vs $1.28 First Call consensus. Firm cites the strength of improving gross margins, which are now expected to be more than 400 basis points above the prior year's level. "Based on the solid performance of our Diamond culinary nut business and our snack portfolio, which consists of Emerald snack nuts and Pop Secret microwave popcorn, we now expect to achieve EPS growth of between 37 to 45 percent for the fiscal year. We are pleased by the complimentary nature of our expanded snack portfolio, and believe we will benefit from the synergy of the larger business in the future."

8:41AM Avery Dennison beats by $0.22, misses on revs (AVY) 27.84 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $0.65 per share, excluding non-recurring items, $0.22 better than the First Call consensus of $0.43; revenues fell 11.8% year/year to $1.51 bln vs the $1.6 bln consensus. Co elects not to provide FY09 earnings forecast due to decreased visibility. Co say raw costs declined 4% in FY08. Co provides two scenarios for 2009:  If revenue declines 8% on an organic basis, co sees adjusted EPS of $1.00 and FCF of $260.0 mln. If revenue declines 3% on an organic basis, co sees adjusted EPS of $2.00 and FCF of $300.0 mln. Briefing.com note:  First Call consensus calls for FY09 EPS of $2.66.

8:36AM Temple-Inland beats by $0.14, beats on revs (TIN) 4.46 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $0.11 per share, excluding tax adjustments, $0.14 better than the First Call consensus of ($0.03); revenues rose 3.8% year/year to $973 mln vs the $908.3 mln consensus. Co says, "As we enter 2009, economic conditions continue to be uncertain. However, the actions we took in 2008 to lower our cost structure significantly throughout our co, drive down our inventories and grow our business will serve us well in 2009... In Building Products, shipments for all of our products declined in the fourth quarter due to difficult market conditions and the seasonal slowdown in demand. We took action in the quarter to further drive down our costs including exiting the hardboard siding business and reducing our headcount by an additional 11%. We also successfully introduced a new fiberglass-faced gypsum sheathing product, GreenGlass, for use in commercial and residential applications during the quarter... In Corrugated Packaging, fourth quarter 2008 was our most profitable quarter of the year. We operated well and benefited from our box plant transformation, acquisition of PBL, higher box prices and lower input costs. We took 108,000 tons of mill downtime in the quarter to match our production to our demand as our box shipments were down approximately 7% compared with year ago levels. We enter 2009 with the lowest inventory levels in the last three years."

8:28AM Peabody Energy beats by $0.37, beats on revs (BTU) 23.84 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $1.11 per share, $0.37 better than the First Call consensus of $0.74; revenues rose 61.0% year/year to $1.88 bln vs the $1.71 bln consensus. Co said,  "While the world faces significant near-term economic challenges, Peabody's middle- to long-term outlook remains positive," said Boyce. "We believe that inventories will rebalance, steel demand will recover, new coal plants will come on line and existing plants will run at higher utilization, while difficult geology and lack of capital access will deplete supply and limit infrastructure development. As recent global outlooks have forecast, nations will continue to turn to coal in increasing quantities, and Peabody remains best positioned in the industry to serve this growing demand."

8:11AM Energizer beats by $0.20, misses on revs (ENR) 44.04 : Reports Q1 (Dec) earnings of $1.93 per share, excluding non-recurring items, $0.20 better than the First Call consensus of $1.73; revenues fell 12.4% year/year to $1.04 bln vs the $1.08 bln consensus. At prevailing currency rates as of January 20, 2009, co expects the overall operating profit impact of currency translation to be unfavorable $105 to $115 mln for the remainder of FY09 as compared to the same period in FY08.

8:05AM Rayonier beats by $0.05, beats on revs (RYN) 28.89 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $0.53 per share, $0.05 better than the First Call consensus of $0.48; revenues rose 25.7% year/year to $353.9 mln vs the $336.5 mln consensus. Co says, "Despite uncertain economic times, we expect our diverse mix of businesses to generate strong cash flows well in excess of our $2.00 per share dividend. With conservative debt levels, manageable debt maturities and a solid balance sheet, we should have significant operating flexibility... Due to the weak economy, we anticipate 2009 results will be below 2008 across our three major business units... We expect that the weakened housing market will negatively impact our timber and real estate businesses, but anticipate continued interest in our non-strategic timberlands. In Performance Fibers, earnings are expected to be solid although below 2008 as strong demand for our cellulose specialties products is more than offset by higher costs and weakening fluff prices."

7:38AM Bristol-Myers beats by $0.05, misses on revs; reaffirms FY09 EPS guidance (BMY) 22.25 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $0.46 per share, $0.05 better than the First Call consensus of $0.41; revenues rose 4% year/year to $5.25 bln vs the $5.42 bln consensus. Co reaffirms guidance for FY09, sees EPS of $1.85-2.00 vs. $1.95 consensus. Key non-GAAP guidance assumptions include low single-digit revenue growth (mid-to-high single digit growth excluding foreign exchange); slight improvement in gross margins; advertising and promotion increase in the low-to-mid single-digit range; marketing, sales and administrative expense decrease in the low-to-mid single digits; research and development expense growth in the mid single-digit range; and an effective tax rate of approximately 24%. The company reaffirms guidance that it expects non-GAAP earnings per share from continuing operations to grow at a minimum of 15% compounded annual growth rate, from the 2007 base through 2010 without rebasing for the sale of the ConvaTec business, excluding costs associated with the PTI and other specified items that have not yet been identified and quantified.

7:33AM St. Jude Medical beats by $0.02, beats on revs; guides Q1 EPS in-line; guides FY09 EPS in-line (STJ) 31.68 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $0.60 per share, excluding non-recurring items, $0.02 better than the First Call consensus of $0.58; revenues rose 11.2% year/year to $1.13 bln vs the $1.1 bln consensus. Co issues in-line guidance for Q1, sees EPS of $0.57-0.59 vs. $0.59 consensus. Co issues in-line guidance for FY09, sees EPS of $2.48-2.54 vs. $2.51 consensus.

7:31AM FPL Group beats by $0.01, beats on revs; guides FY09 EPS in-line (FPL) 48.94 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $0.90 per share, $0.01 better than the First Call consensus of $0.89; revenues rose 8.7% year/year to $4 bln vs the $3.87 bln consensus. Co issues in-line guidance for FY09, sees EPS of $4.05-4.25 vs. $4.08 consensus.

7:28AM Verizon reports EPS in-line, revs in-line (VZ) 30.99 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $0.61 per share, excluding non-recurring items, in-line with the First Call consensus of $0.61; revenues rose 3.4% year/year to $24.64 bln vs the $24.74 bln consensus. Coreports that it added 1.4 million wireless net customer additions, 303,000 net new FiOS TV customers and 282,000 net new FiOS Internet customers.

7:11AM Waters beats by $0.11, reports revs of $418.3 mln vs the $416.8 mln consensus (WAT) 36.85 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $1.07 per share, excluding intangibles amortization & a litigation adjustment, $0.11 better than the First Call consensus of $0.96; revenues fell 4.3% year/year to $418.3 mln vs the $416.8 mln consensus. Co says, "Overall, 2008 was a very successful year for Waters as non-GAAP E.P.S. were up 20% and cash from operations reached a record high. The challenges that we faced in the fourth quarter reflect the tougher economic environment that we are likely to continue to encounter in 2009. We are confident that we can manage our business effectively through this difficult period and we remain committed to new product research and customer support programs to ensure our long term growth and continued strong market position."

7:03AM BJ Services beats by $0.10, reports revs in-line (BJS) 11.92 : Reports Q1 (Dec) earnings of $0.56 per share, excluding $0.05 charge related to the settlement of a frozen US defined benefit pension plan, $0.10 better than the First Call consensus of $0.46; revenues rose 11.4% year/year to $1.43 bln vs the $1.43 bln consensus. "U.S. activity was bolstered somewhat by projects that had been delayed in the previous quarter due to hurricane activity along the Gulf Coast. Our Canada pressure pumping operations experienced higher volume and some pricing improvement sequentially. International pressure pumping activity was down sequentially, primarily as a result of anticipated customer and weather-related slowdowns, but showed marked year over year improvement in revenue and profitability, as a result of new contracts added during fiscal 2008 and more favorable weather conditions in most international markets between the two periods."

6:37AM Kinetic Concepts beats by $0.13, misses on revs; guides FY09 EPS above consensus, revs in-line (KCI) 21.83 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $0.98 per share, $0.13 better than the First Call consensus of $0.85; revenues rose 63.0% year/year to $492.5 mln vs the $505.7 mln consensus. Co issues mixed guidance for FY09, sees EPS of $3.95-4.10 vs. $3.42 consensus; sees FY09 revs of $2.0-2.06 bln vs. $2.03 bln consensus. In October 2008, KCI's Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program for the repurchase of up to $100.0 mln in market value of KCI common stock through the third quarter of 2009. Through December 31, 2008, the co had repurchased $50.1 mln of KCI common stock at an average price of $24.12 per share. Gross profit margin for the fourth quarter of 2008 was 50.1% compared to 49.3% for the same period one year ago.

6:09AM DuPont misses by $0.04, misses on revs; guides Q1 EPS below consensus; guides FY09 EPS in-line (DD) 23.18 : Reports Q4 (Dec) loss of $0.28 per share, excluding non-recurring items, $0.04 worse than the First Call consensus of ($0.24); revenues fell 16.7% year/year to $5.82 bln vs the $6.17 bln consensus. Co issues downside guidance for Q1, sees EPS of $0.50-0.70 vs. $0.72 consensus. Co issues in-line guidance for FY09, sees EPS of $2.00-2.50 (prior range $2.25-2.75) vs. $2.19 consensus. Co expects that global macroeconomic conditions for Q109 will be similar to Q408, with very weak demand in most of the key markets, excluding agriculture. While favorable conditions in global agriculture markets are expected in 2009, lower demand for non-agriculture products and the impact of currency is expected to limit revenue growth in FY09. The co expects to continue an appropriate level of spending for high-growth, high-margin businesses, including seed products and photovoltaics.

1:26AM Jacobs beats by $0.01, beats on revs; guides FY09 EPS in-line (JEC) 40.56 : Reports Q1 (Dec) earnings of $0.90 per share, excluding non-recurring items, $0.01 better than the First Call consensus of $0.89; revenues rose 30.8% year/year to $3.23 bln vs the $3.12 bln consensus. Co issues in-line guidance for FY09, sees EPS of 3.55-3.90 vs. $3.67 consensus (co reduces upper end of EPS guidance to $3.90). Co announces backlog totaling $16.0 bln at December 31, 2008, including a technical professional services component of $7.9 bln. This compares to total backlog and technical professional services backlog of $15.0 bln and $7.1 bln, respectively, at December 31, 2007. During Q109, JEC was notified by certain clients that they were cancelling projects that had been included in backlog. Accordingly, $840 mln of revenues was removed from backlog during the recent quarter.

1:04AM Allegiant Travel beats by $0.21, reports revs in-line; announces $25 mln share repurchase program (ALGT) 37.91 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $0.88 per share,$0.21 better than the First Call consensus of $0.67; revenues rose 21.3% year/year to $122.4 mln vs the $121.4 mln consensus. Co estimates that for Q109 scheduled total average air fare (the sum of air fare plus ancillary revenue per passenger), will be down 4% to 6% over the prior year or between $4 and $7. Decline in RPM should be more than offset by expected reduction in fuel cost per passenger and non-fuel cost per passenger (due to increased aircraft utilization) in the first quarter. Co announces $25 mln share repurchase program. "Our fourth quarter fuel price per gallon was down 21% year-over-year and a stunning 40% sequentially. The resulting reduction in fourth quarter operating cost helped pave the way to a record operating margin, with operating profit surging close to 400% year-over-year."