United fourth-quarter earnings beat expectations

United Airlines is the No.3 U.S. airline by passenger traffic. (Courtesy of United Airlines)

By Shen Lu United Continental Holdings Inc. on Tuesday reported a better-than-expected 1.6 percent decline in its fourth-quarter passenger unit revenue, a key metric to determine the efficiency of an airline, as its net income slipped 52 percent.

Williams-Sonoma helped by West Elm brand, hurt by PBteen

By Sarah Very Shares of Williams-Sonoma Inc. tumbled Thursday as disappointed investors responded to lower-than-expected earnings caused by softening performance at the retailer’s Pottery Barn brand. The San Francisco, Calif.-based specialty home goods retailer, parent of the Pottery Barn and West Elm brands, said net income fell 4 percent to $141.1 million, or $1.55 per […]

DSW Inc.’s fourth quarter not as bad as feared, sales show growth

DSW's Chicago State St. location enjoys moderate morning foot traffic.

By Alison Martin Despite a steep decline in profit, DSW Inc.’s fourth quarter results beat investor expectations and helped send the company’s share price higher. In the quarter ended Jan. 30, 2016, The footwear and accessories retailer reported its net income as $11.8 million or 14 cents per diluted share, down dramatically from last year’s […]

Growing number of skiers benefits Vail Resorts’ winter performance

Vail Resorts operates nine mountain resorts and three urban ski areas. (Barney Moss/Flickr)

By Lucia Maffei Luckily for Vail Resorts Inc., the weather phenomenon known as El Niño brought deep snows, and many more skiers, to the company’s facilities in the western U.S. For the second quarter ended Jan. 31, the Colorado-based resort operator posted net income attributable to Vail Resorts of $117 million, or $3.14 per diluted […]

“Brand Ambassador” promotion boosting profits at Express Inc.

Express Store

By Poroma Pant Retailer Express Inc., citing the help from a series of successful celebrity endorser campaigns, turned in fourth-quarter earnings Wednesday that modestly beat analyst estimates. For the quarter ended Jan 30, the Ohio-based apparel chain reported net earnings of $56.1 million, or 67 cents per share compared to $41.8 million, or 49 cents […]

Leading air-filter maker faces headwinds from strong dollar

By Siri Bulusu Donaldson Company, Inc. reported softer than expected second quarter earnings Tuesday, citing “stagnant” marketplace conditions and pressure from the strong U.S. dollar. For the quarter ending Jan. 31, the air-filtration company’s net income fell to $38.0 million, or 28 cents per diluted share, from $48.0 million, or 34 cents per diluted share, […]

Big charge gives Kellogg hefty loss

By Yi Gu Kellogg Co., getting a lift from market-share gains at its domestic cereal operation, released better-than-expected fourth quarter operating earnings Thursday. In the fourth quarter ended Jan. 2, the food manufacturing company reported a $41 million loss, or 12 cents a diluted share loss, 86 percent less than the $293 million, or 82 […]

Acco shares jump on fourth-quarter results

By Yi Gu ACCO Brands Corp. shares climbed after the company, helped by a rebound in its U.S. market, released a better-than-expected fourth quarter earnings results on Wednesday. In the latest quarter, the Lake Zurich, Illinois-based office products supplier’s net income dropped 28 percent to $31.4 million, or 29 cents a diluted share, from $43.9 […]

CVS reports healthy fourth quarter

By Sarah Very CVS Health Corp. turned in fourth quarter results that matched Wall Street expectations, as recent acquisitions and growth in its retail and pharmacy-services businesses bolstered revenue at the second largest drugstore chain. In the latest quarter, the Woonsocket, Rhode Island company reported net income of $1.5 billion, or $1.34 per diluted share, […]

Lower jet-fuel costs mean higher profits for Southwest Air, United

By Xiumei Dong United Continental Holdings, Inc. and Southwest Airlines Co. both reported big fourth quarter earnings jumps Thursday, as the two carriers continue to benefit from falling oil prices. In the latest quarter, Southwest’s net income climbed to $536 million, or 82 cents per diluted share, from the $190 million, or 28 cents per […]