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Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• AnnTaylor Stores Corp. (NYSE: ANN) reported a smaller-than-expected Q1 loss as sales slumped.
• Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) smaller-than-expected Q1 net loss sent shares higher.
• Children's Place Retail Stores Inc. (NASDAQ: PLCE) solid Q1 results were in line with expectations.
• Dick's Sporting Goods Inc. (NYSE: DKS) posted higher-than-expected Q1 results but same-store sales fell.
• Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) lower Q1 earnings beat expectations and lower revenue was in line.

Limited Brands (NYSE: LTD), the retailer that runs stores such as Bath & Body Works, Pink, and the sexy Victoria's Secret, issued its Q1 numbers after the bell on Wednesday.

The bottom line didn't look bad. Not that it looked great, mind you. The company earned 1 cent per share. The fact that there was any profit at all was big news. According to analysts, a loss of 3 cents per share was more likely.

The revenue picture was not so pretty, however. Net sales dropped by 10%. And same-store sales decreased 7%. I guess buying lingerie isn't a top priority during a time when jobs are being cut and consumers look in terror upon their 401(k) balances.

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says if you need money for anything important in the near future, get it out of the stock market.

Fall back. Fall back to basic principles. What do people have to do whether they want to do it or not? What do governments have to pay for whether they want something or not? What must be used whether you like it or not?

That's where we are right now in the helter-skelter pell-mell race to take all stocks to single digits as the notion of a worldwide global depression sinks in.

Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) reported earnings Wednesday after close, beating estimates, but warning that incoming orders declined dramatically -- 20% -- in January. For the quarter, Cisco reported earnings of 32 cents per share excluding items, beating the average analyst estimate by 2 cents. CSCO shares declined 3.4% in premarket trading.

Swiss Reinsurance Co. will get a capital injection of $2.6 billion from Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) after warning investors it expects to lose $869 million for the full year. The investment will pay a 12% coupon and could convert into a stake of more than 20% in the company.

Even though Black Friday sales were better than expected, most retailers saw their November sales plunge. As I posted in April, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) would likely benefit from consumers' recession diet. That has proven to be a fairly safe bet, but the scary thing is that just about every other retailer is taking a hit.

A glimmer of good news is that for many of those that hurt, the results were not as bad as expected. Here are the actual results of five retailers (with expected results in parentheses):

• Wal-Mart +3.4%, (+2.1%)
• Costco Wholesale (NYSE: COST) -5%, (-2.4%)
• Limited Brands (NYSE: LTD) -8%, (-11.6%)
• Pacific Sunware (NASDAQ: PSUN) -10%, (-14.3%)
• Bon-Ton Stores (NASDAQ: BONT) -16%, (-14.5%)

An emerging theme is that expectations are so bad that retailers seem able to exceed them. However, there is no guarantee that such outcomes are likely to continue. If retailers do better than expected then forecasters may raise their estimates until retailers can't exceed them.

Peter Cohan is President of Peter S. Cohan & Associates. He also teaches management at Babson College and edits The Cohan Letter. He has no financial interest in the securities mentioned.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) and Chrysler executives are returning to Congress for what many see as a crucial hearing as the automakers hope will persuade skeptical lawmakers to bail them out with a $34 billion in emergency aid. Still, a top Senate Democrat wants to hand their problem to the Federal Reserve. Automakers executives are also considering accepting a pre-arranged bankruptcy as the last-resort price of getting a multibillion-dollar government bailout, according to Bloomberg sources. GM and Ford shares are down 6.1% and 7.7% in premarket trade (8:10 am). As of 11:45, GM shares declined nearly7%, Ford's were flattish.

Wal-Mart Store Inc. (NYSE: WMT) November same-store sales were expected to fall 7% gain 2.1%, but rose 3.4%. WMT is trading 2.8% higher in premarket (8:10 am). WMT shares traded higher during the session.
Costco Wholesale Corp (NASDAQ: COST) reported that November same-store sales fell 5%.
Limited Brands Inc. (NYSE: LTD) reported November same-store sales fell 12%.

Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL) reported a loss of nearly $80 million, or 49 cents per share, including about $175 million in pre-tax writedowns. Without the charges, the company reported a profit of 23 cents per share. Revenue fell to $698.9 million from $1.17 billion a year ago. TOL beat analyst estimates of 46 cents per share on revenue of $681.4 million, according to Thomson Reuters. TOL decline to issue guidance for next year. As of 11:47, TOL shares were 9.5% higher.

Merck & Co. (NYSE: MRK) issued guidance, saying net income in 2009 may miss analysts' expectations as the drug maker trying to make up for falling sales of its top-selling cholesterol pills with cost cuts, including job reduction. Merck made no change in its forecast for 2008 earnings. MRK shares traded 3.6% lower in premarket (8:14 am). Shares of MRK traded down 3.6% by 11:47.

Analyst upgrades:

• Oppenheimer upgraded shares of Premiere Global (NYSE: PGI) to Outperform from Perform on valuation and believes the company's strategic initiatives will drive "healthy" top-line results in a difficult economy.
  
• Citigroup upgraded Prudential (NYSE: PRU) to Buy from Hold on valuation, as they believe the stock is oversold at current levels. Though upgraded, the firm lowered their target price to $30 from $80.
  
• Citigroup also upgraded Bankrate (NASDAQ: RATE) to Buy from Hold as they believe the company will benefit from the financial market volatility and that the risk/reward is attractive at current levels. The firm maintains a $40 target on the stock.
• Hospitality Properties (NYSE: HPT) was raised to Outperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital.
  
• Diamond Offshore (NYSE: DO) was upgraded at Merrill Lynch to Buy from Neutral.
  
• Alcon (NYSE: ACL) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Wachovia.

Analyst downgrades:

Toyota Motor Co. (NYSE: TM) -- recently we've seen more and more signs that the slowdown in general and the auto industry troubles particularly have been hurting Toyota too. Today, Fitch Ratings cut Toyota's top-notch credit rating to "AA" from "AAA," as the carmaker was indeed hit by the world auto market slump, high material cost and from a surging yen. TM shares were down 3% by 11 am.

American International Group Inc. (NYSE: AIG) announced late Tuesday it has closed its $40 billion stock placement with the U.S. Treasury under the government's Troubled Assets Relief Program. The Treasury bought shares of AIG equaling 2% of the company on the date of the investment. AIG shares were up 0.5% by 11 am.

Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) reported that fiscal fourth-quarter net income fell 18% to $345 million, or 81 cents a share, as sales rose 21% to $7.4 billion. Analysts expected earnings of 99 cents a share on sales of $5.2 billion according to FactSet Research. The guidance for fourth quarter was below estimates. DE shares were 6.3% lower in premarket trading (8:03 am). DE shares were down 9.6% by 11 am.

Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) reported that its third quarter earnings declined to $44 million, or 35 cents a share on lower sales of $618 million. This was above analyst estimates of 26 cents EPS and sales of $697 million, according to FactSet Research. Tiffany said it plans to reduce staff. TIF shares were 8.6% lower in premarket trading (8:03 am). TIF shares were down 4.1% by 11 am.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) swung to a Q3 loss as same-store sales fell, and it lowered its outlook.
• Corning Inc. (NYSE: GLW) forecast lower profits due to weaker glass sales but has a strong cash position.
• Fortress Investment Group (NYSE: FIG) swung to a Q3 loss as investors requested redemptions.
• Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) profit beat estimates despite the decline in sales, and it reaffirmed its outlook.
• HJ Heinz Co. (NYSE: HNZ) strong Q2 results topped expectations but didn't impress the market.
• Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ: INTU) reported solid results and offered modest growth for the next quarter.
• Limited Brands Inc. (NYSE: LTD) Q3 profits and same-store sales fell and it lowered its guidance.
• Macy's Inc. (NYSE: M) fell short of Q3 expectations and said it would reduce capital expenditures in 2009.
• Medtronic Inc. (NYSE: MDT) fell short of Q2 expectations and lowered its full-year guidance.
• PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE: PEP) reaffirmed its previously announced full-year earnings guidance.
• Salesforce.com Inc. (NYSE: CRM) said Q3 earnings and revenue grew sharply, beating expectations.
• Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) posted weak Q3 numbers and discontinued its share buyback activity.
• Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) was downgraded on the belief that consensus estimates may be too high.

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL), the personal computer maker, is due to report its financial results after the market close. The company is expected to post a 9% drop in earnings to 31 cents per share, according to Briefing.com. DELL shares were 1.5% higher in premarket trade (8:00 am). Dell shares were 2.7% lower about half an hour after the open.

General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) is seeking funds from China Investment Corp., Government of Singapore Investment Corp. and at least two other sovereign-wealth funds. GE shares have plunged some 60% this year as the company has lowered 2008 profit target twice. But GE also raised $3 billion last month as Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK) invested in the company. GE shares declined 8.3% around 9:55 am. The company said that while it is in talks with Asian investors about joint ventures, it has no intention of raising additional capital from sovereign-wealth funds.

General Motors Corp (NYSE: GM), Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) and Chrysler Llc returned empty-handed from Washington as the bailout plan for the automotive sector seems hanging by a thread. The sought after compromise couldn't be reached and the Senate canceled plans for a vote Wednesday. The Bush administration and congressional Republicans have rejected Democrats' plan to dip into the $700 billion Wall Street rescue fund for a $25 billion automotive sector bailout. Interestingly, some think no bailout will not send the stock market off a cliff. Meanwhile, Chrsyler still wants to merge with GM -- little wonder there.

However, GMAC Financial Services has applied to the Federal Reserve to become a bank holding company. If approved, it would allow GM's financing arm to be eligible for aid under the Treasury's $700 billion bank rescue plan, automotive bailout or not. Still, GM shares were down about 10% in premarket trade (8:05 am), just as Ford's were up 3.2% (8:05 am). GM shares were beaten down another 11.5% around 9:55 am, Ford's were down some 4.8%.

Market Downturn Pushes Top Stocks Under $10
It has been almost impossible for most stocks to avoid the carnage and mayhem of late. These are the latest to fall under $10/share. They include Starbucks, Limited Brands, Southwest Air, Whole Foods and Radio Shack.
http://www.247wallst.com/2008/11/as-market-plu-1.html

8 Reasons You Should Skip Black Friday Sales
Many people look forward to Black Friday and all the deals. But it's important to remember that this event was created to lure customers. The bold fliers with incredible-sounding deals may beckon you to start loosening your wallet strings, but they shouldn't. Black Friday shopping may very well put you in the red.
http://www.mainstreet.com/article/lifestyle/money-sapping-secrets-black-friday-sales

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says that even in lousy markets -- and this is one of them -- you can find stocks to buy.

When nothing's working, something's working. I know sounds counterintuitive. but there is simply no reason to think, as bad as this market is -- and it is really, really bad -- that there isn't something to buy.

We are gripped by the fear of the remaining black holes -- Ford (NYSE: F) (Cramer's Take), GM (NYSE: GM) (Cramer's Take), Fannie (NYSE: FNM) (Cramer's Take) and Freddie (NYSE: FRE) (Cramer's Take), AIG (NYSE: AIG) (Cramer's Take), Lehman (NYSE: LEH) (Cramer's Take), WaMu (NYSE: WM) (Cramer's Take) and Citigroup (NYSE: C) (Cramer's Take) -- and we all know it. They are not convenient whipping boys. They are the Seven Deadly Stocks, and they aren't going away.

But are they really hurting General Mills (NYSE: GIS) (Cramer's Take)? Can I see selling Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) (Cramer's Take) because of them? After we know the price increases are all baked in? And don't hit me with that strong-dollar stuff, because GIS doesn't have that much overseas exposure. Same with Pepsi (NYSE: PEP) (Cramer's Take): This is a national company with an international arm that is generating oodles of cash and doesn't have as much bad commodity exposure as it did a few months ago.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Aeropostale Inc. (NYSE: ARO) strong Q2 results were in line with analysts' expectations.
• BHP Billiton Ltd. (NYSE: BHP) reported a record annual profit on demands for commodities in China.
• Burger King Holdings Inc. (NYSE: BKC) beat Q4 expectations despite struggling with commodities costs.
• Foot Locker Inc. (NYSE: FL) reported that it easily beat earnings expectations for the second quarter.
• GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME) reported strong Q2 results despite a decline in gross margins.
• Hershey Co. (NYSE: HSY) narrowed its 2008 guidance due to rising costs of commodities.
• HJ Heinz Co. (NYSE: HNZ) Q1 results topped analysts' estimates and raised its full-year guidance.
• JDS Uniphase Corp. (NASDAQ: JDSU) offered disappointing quarterly results and Q1 guidance.
• Limited Brands Inc. (NYSE: LTD) reported better-than-expected Q2 results and boosted its forecast.
• Novatel Wireless Inc. (NASDAQ: NVTL) fell short of estimates, leading to a new 52-week low.
• Saks Inc. (NYSE: SKS) reported a smaller-than-expected Q2 loss and forecast lower operating margins.
• Staples Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS) warned of lower profits due to continued challenging market conditions.
• Zumiez Inc. (NASDAQ: ZUMZ) warmed of weakness in the second half, including lower same-store sales.

For more earnings highlights from this week, see: Home Depot, Lehman, Hewlett-Packard, Gap, BJ's and others

Upcoming quarterly reports include Big Lots (NYSE: BIG), Borders (NYSE: BGP), Rio Tinto (NYSE: RTP), Tivo (NASDAQ: TIVO), Novell (NASDAQ: NOVL), Dell (NASDAQ: DELL), Sears (NASDAQ: SHLD), and Tiffany (NYSE: TIF).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

U.S. stock futures were lower this morning, pointing to a weaker start Thursday following a reprieve Wednesday. Concerns over financials toll center stage again as oil continued to swing higher. Some economic data released later today may affect trading as well: Philadelphia-area poll of activity for August, leading indicators for July and weekly jobless claims.

Investors continued to fear nationalization of mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM) and Freddie Mac (NYSE: FRE), each of which declined 27% and 22% Wednesday respectively. FNM and FRE are declining about 4.5% and 9% respectively in premarket trading. Jim Cramer thinks trading in the shares should be stopped for fear of manipulation as the short-selling rules ended.

Staying with financials, Citi lowered its third-quarter earnings estimates for Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS), Lehman Brothers (NYSE: LEH) and Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) as it fears further writedowns, and a weaker business flow in addition to the seasonal slowdown. It cut its price target on Lehman to $35 from $50, but kept as Buy. Citi forecasts write-downs of $2.9 billion for Lehman, $1.8 billion for Goldman and $1.7 billion for Morgan Stanley.

As if that wasn't enough to raise concerns, the Wall Street Journal reports that the Federal Reserve called Credit Suisse (NYSE: CS) last month to check a rumor that the bank was preparing to pull a line of credit for Lehman Brothers, which CS told the FED wasn't true. At least this shows the Fed is serious about taking and implementing the moral authority it should be.

Target (NYSE: TGT) is scheduled to report Q2 EPS on August 19. TGT September & October option implied volatility of 43 is near its 26-week average according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement.

Gap (NYSE: GPS) is scheduled to report Q2 EPS on August 21. GPS September option implied volatility of 47 is near its 26-week average of 43, suggesting slightly larger price movement.

Limited Brands (NYSE: LTD) is scheduled to report Q2 EPS after the market close on August 20. LTD September option implied volatility of 51 is near its 26-week average, suggesting non-directional price movement.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com