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

• AK Steel Holding Corp. (NYSE: AKS) reported better-than-expected Q3 results but shares fell anyway.
• Baidu Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU) posted strong Q3 results but shares sold off on a disappointing guidance.
• Burger King Holdings Inc. (NYSE: BKC) said lower Q1 earnings fell short of analysts expectations.
• Dreamworks Animation SKG Inc. (NYSE: DWA) topped Q3 profit and revenue estimates, lifting shares.
• Geron Corp. (NASDAQ: GERN) posted a narrower-than-expected Q3 loss, sending shares sharply higher.
• Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (NYSE: HMC) reported lower Q2 earnings and sales on weak demand for cars.

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

• Aetna Inc. (NYSE: AET) said its profit fell due to higher expenses and warned the trend may continue.
• Avon Products Inc. (NYSE: AVP) topped Q2 earnings expectations, which sent shares higher.
• ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) lower Q2 earnings topped expectations, but revenue was also down.
• DreamWorks Animation Inc. (NYSE: DWA) posted flat Q2 earnings as it waits for the next big DVD release.
• First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) posted a better-than-expected profit but guidance sent shares lower.
• Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (NYSE: JEC) Q3 revenue missed estimates and it lowered its outlook.

Disney (NYSE: DIS), a media conglomerate that does battle with the likes of Time Warner (NYSE: TWX), General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC Universal, CBS (NYSE: CBS), and News Corp. (NASDAQ: NWS), changed things up this time around when it came to second-quarter earnings. When I reported on the company's first-quarter earnings, I observed that the Mouse missed expectations. Thankfully, Disney pulled itself together and went beyond the call of Wall Street.

Disney said it earned 43 cents per share on an adjusted basis when it issued its Q2 release on Tuesday after the bell. As I noted in my earnings preview, analysts were looking for 40 cents per share. While that's a nice beat, let's be realistic: Disney is still having a rough time. That 43 cents per-share figure represented a drop of 26% compared to the year-ago period.

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

• Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE: BMY) Q1 profit fell despite strong sales of Plavix and Abilify.
• Check Point Software Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: CHKP) was downgraded based on its guidance.
• Domino's Pizza Inc. (NYSE: DPZ) strong Q1 results were boosted by early debt retirement.
• DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. (NYSE: DWA) strong Q1 results were driven by Madagascar 2.
• Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ENDP) Q1 results led to an analyst's downgrade.
• E*Trade Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: ETFC) widened its Q1 loss, sending shares sharply lower.

As the quarterly reports continue to roll out and the market continues to rally, optimism seem to be rising. Analysts certainly have high hopes for some companies reporting earnings this week.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) to report first-quarter earnings of $1.51 per share, which is 62.3% higher than a year ago. Revenue for the quarter is expected to be 105.6% higher, or $404.9 million. First Solar earnings have topped expectations in the past five quarters, by as much as 47.3%. The long-term EPS growth forecast is 40.6% and the forward PE ratio estimate is 23.0. In the previous quarter, Tempe, Ariz.-based First Solar reported having more cash on hand than debt. The First Call consensus recommendation is to buy FSLR; CNBC recently included it as a stock pick. First Solar has announced that it will build new solar power plants in Nevada and Germany. Its share price has risen 6.9% since the beginning of the year to $147.46.

Last week at this time, I was reporting on the success of Disney's (NYSE: DIS) Race to Witch Mountain, starring Dwayne Johnson, an actor who used to be a full-time grappler known as The Rock for World Wrestling Entertainment (NYSE: WWE). The film opened in the number-one position, taking in $24.4 million.

Well, I'm sorry to say now that the project might not have the best legs in the business. It dropped to fourth place this time around after grossing an amount that, as of early estimates, is over 46% less than what it grossed in its debut weekend.

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

• Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB) reported solid Q2 numbers despite competition from store brands.
• DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. (NYSE: DWA) missed Q4 expectations, sending shares lower.
• First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) said Q4 profit more than doubled due to strong demand.
• Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN) posted a lower-than-expected profit on soft sales and lower margins.
• Heidrick & Struggles International Inc. (NASDAQ: HSII) earnings and revenue declined in Q4.
• Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) earnings beat low expectations even as revenue continued to decline.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected the parade of earnings declines to continue into the final week of February, with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. (NYSE: MSO), Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN), Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD), Wynn Resorts Ltd. (NASDAQ: WYNN), Macy's Inc. (NYSE: M), DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. (NYSE: DWA), Limited Brands Inc. (NYSE: LTD), Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT), Royal Bank Of Canada (NYSE: RY), Del Monte Foods Co. (NASDAQ: DLM), Kohl's Corp. (NYSE: KSS), Washington Post Co. (NYSE: WPO), Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL), Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS), Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB), RadioShack Corp. (NYSE: RSH), and H.J. Heinz Co. (NYSE: HNZ) all expected to post lower earnings for the most recent quarter. Office Depot Inc. (NYSE: ODP), Saks Inc. (NYSE: SKS), and Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. (NYSE: CTB) are expect to have swung to a loss.

Analyst upgrades:

• Baird upgraded Starwood Hotels (NYSE: HOT), Host Hotels (NYSE: HST) and Marriott (NYSE: MAR) to Outperform from Neutral based on valuation and indications that negative sentiment has reached a bottom.
• Citigroup upgraded Torchmark (NYSE: TMK) to Buy from Hold as they find the valuation attractive and think management can grow earnings and book value in 2009/2010. Despite upgrading, the firm lowered their target price to $37 from $45.
• ASM International (NASDAQ: ASMI) was added to Goldman's Conviction Buy List.
• Credit Suisse (NYSE: CS) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.
• Live Nation (NYSE: LYV) was upgraded at Natixis to Buy from Hold.

Viacom (NYSE: VIA), a media company that used to exist as one business with CBS (NYSE: CBS) and whose colleagues include Disney (NYSE: DIS), Time Warner (NYSE: TWX), News Corp. (NYSE: NWS), Sony (NYSE: SNE), and General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC Universal, will issue Q4 results on Thursday, February 12.

I don't know, I don't feel a lot of confidence about them. According to this source, Viacom may earn somewhere around 79 cents per share in the fourth quarter. That would represent a drop of about 6% when compared to last year's Q4 results (which you can check out via this .pdf link). It wouldn't be so bad if Viacom merely met earnings expectations. After all, the media industry is working through a nasty cycle of contraction. Take a look at Disney's earnings and you'll see what I mean.

I'll tell you, I find this such amazingly telling news. General Electric's (NYSE: GE) Universal Pictures apparently does not want to distribute a DreamWorks slate anymore.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, changes that DreamWorks wanted to make to the previous deal that was already hammered out did not pass muster with Universal execs. In a statement, Universal commented that such changes no longer fit the movie studio's business plan. You'll recall that Steven Spielberg and his DreamWorks company left the Viacom (NYSE: VIA) fold recently in pursuit of fresh funding and a new distribution partner to start life anew.

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

• Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) reported a narrower Q3 net loss and reaffirmed its outlook.
• Barclays (NYSE: BCS) earnings and dividend prospects resulted in an analyst's downgrade.
• Burger King Holdings Inc. (NYSE: BKC) posted its 19th straight quarter of positive growth.
• Choice Hotels International Inc. (NYSE: CHH) better-than-expected Q3 report led to an upgrade.
• Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA) reported strong Q3 numbers and maintained its revenue outlook.
• DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. (NYSE: DWA) better-than-expected Q3 results driven by Kung Fu Panda.
• Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) reported another record profit in Q3 driven by record high fuel prices.
• Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN) reported a better-than-expected Q3 profit and offered guidance.
• Hercules Inc. (NYSE: HPC) posted lower Q3 earnings and anounced [regulatory] approval of its buyout.
• Janus Capital Group Inc. (NYSE: JNS) weaker-than-expected results led to an analyst's downgrade.
• Legg Mason Inc. (NYSE: LM) swung to a smaller-than-expected Q2 net loss and shares soared.
• Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT) dismal Q3 results managed to beat low earnings expectations.
• Office Depot (NYSE: ODP) Q3 results included lower revenue and a net loss due to economic conditions.
• Qwest Communications International Inc. (NYSE: Q) unimpressive Q3 numbers fell short of estimates.
• Sun Microsystems (NASDAQ: JAVA) swung to a greater-than-expected net loss due in part to competition.
• Texas Roadhouse Inc. (NASDAQ: TXRH) missed Q3 estimates and warned of flat full-year earnings.
• Valero Energy Corp. (NYSE: VLO) strong Q3 results included a gain from a sale of a refinery.
• Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) beat Q4 earnings expectations after adjustment for litigation-related charges.
• Whirlpool Corp. (NYSE: WHR) fell short of revenue estimates and announced job cuts.

General Electric Company's (NYSE: GE) NBC Universal needs all the help it can get if it wants to remain part of the famous Dow component. After all, how many times have we heard in the last several years that the huge industrial conglomerate should get rid of the media asset? Well, maybe a little glitzy dose of DreamWorks will increase the perceived value of the movie/TV division in the eyes of a management in the midst of financial-crisis turmoil.

After wondering whether it would be Universal, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), News Corp. (NYSE: NWS), or Time Warner, Inc. (NYSE: TWX), the new DreamWorks has decided to strike a distribution deal with Universal after it became a free agent following its split from Viacom (NYSE: VIA). This is according to The Hollywood Reporter. The transaction reportedly means that Universal will be releasing six films per year from DreamWorks starting sometime in '09.

Of course, we don't know all the details yet, but since DreamWorks is being funded by Indian media-investment entity Reliance Big Entertainment, Universal will probably only end up with a modest distribution fee. Still, any studio would have loved to have had bragging rights in terms of the famous director. It was never meant to be a fair competition, though, since the move to Universal was pretty much set in stone. Spielberg has had a special relationship with the company for a long time, and it was considered a given that DreamWorks would end up with a pact at the classic studio.

Viacom (NYSE: VIA) scored over the weekend at the domestic box office. Ever since I saw the trailer for the movie Eagle Eye back in the summer, I had a feeling this was going to turn out to be a hit. According to Boxofficemojo, the thriller took in $29 million since opening on Friday as of early estimates.

In fact, I can't understand why Eye wasn't placed in a summer slot. I suppose there are some legitimate reasons, such as the density of releases during the season, but this one begged to be competing in the busy time period. Steven Spielberg served as executive producer on this one, and Viacom's Paramount distributed it on behalf of the DreamWorks brand. Of course, Spielberg and DreamWorks will be departing from the Viacom fold, perhaps heading to General Electric's (NYSE: GE) Universal to set up a distribution deal.

Coming in second was Time Warner's (NYSE: TWX) Nights in Rodanthe. It was a distant second at an estimated $13.5 million. Got to be honest, I didn't hear of this movie before I started writing this piece. Sony's (NYSE: SNE) Lakeview Terrace was in third place with $7 million. Last week, Sony was on top with that picture.