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

• American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (NYSE: AEO) saw lower Q3 results in the tough retail envirnoment.
• Analog Devices Inc. (NYSE: ADI) Q4 profit surged but it lowered its Q1 forecast due to slowing orders.
• Borders Group Inc. (NYSE: BGP) had dismal Q3 results and said it had ceased its quest to sell itself.
• Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB) solid Q1 results beat estimates but shares fell despite a market rally.
• Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) fell short of Q4 profit expectations and guidance was below estimates.
• Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) had a bigger-than-expected Q3 profit and raised its full-year outlook.
• D.R. Horton Inc. (NYSE: DHI) reported a wider Q4 loss as home sales revenue declined by 50%.
• Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ) posted strong Q4 numbers that didn't quite match the preliminary results.
• Salesforce.com Inc. (NYSE: CRM) had strong results and an optimistic forecast despite economic conditions.
• Starbucks Corp. (NASDAQ: SBUX) lowered its fiscal 2009 forecast and warned of further restructuring.
• Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) Q3 earnings declined but topped expectations, and it announced staff reductions.
• Warner Music Group Corp. (NYSE: WMG) Q4 earnings beat expectations though revenues fell slightly.
• Xerox Corp. (NYSE: XRX) forecast a full-year profit in line with estimates and said it is confident in its liquidity.

Upcoming earnings releases include Sears (NASDAQ: SHLD), Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS), Aeropostale (NYSE: ARO), Del Monte Foods (NYSE: DLM), Guess (NYSE: GES), Novell (NASDAQ: NOVL), Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL), Big Lots (NYSE: BIG), Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE: RY).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

The earnings season is beginning to wind down as we have passed the halfway mark of the quarter and the holiday season begins in earnest next week with Thanksgiving in the United States.

Bermuda-based Frontline Ltd. (NYSE: FRO) is anticipated by analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters to be one of the biggest earnings gainers among companies scheduled to report quarterly results this coming week. The oil tanker fleet operator is expected to post third-quarter earnings of $1.97 per share, 86.8% higher than in the same period a year ago, on revenues of $399.5 million (+44.6%). Frontline missed estimates by 6.4% in the previous quarter, and the consensus recommendation by analysts is to hold FRO. While Motley Fool likes its robust dividend, Jim Cramer said in a recent Lightning Round that he prefers rival Nordic American Tanker Shipping Ltd. (NYSE: NAT). Shares have fallen 52.9% in the past three months, and reached a 52-week low of $25.00 on Friday.

Analog Devices Inc. (NYSE: ADI) is also expected to be among the week's biggest earnings gainers. Analysts are looking for the semiconductor chip maker to report a fiscal fourth-quarter profit of $0.44 per share, 31.8% higher than a year ago, on revenues of $661.7 million (+2.0%). Analog Devices has beat estimates in three of the past five quarters, but only missed by 1.3% in the previous quarter. Analysts on average recommend buying ADI, which has a forecast long-term EPS growth rate of 17.3%, which better than the S&P 500 and that of rival Texas Instruments Inc. (NYSE: TXN). Shares sank to a multiyear low of $16.23 on Friday, and are down 41.1% in the past three months.

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

• Albany Molecular Research Inc. (NASDAQ: AMRI) topped estimates and raised its full-year guidance.
• Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) Q3 earnings and revenues tumbled but beat low expectations.
• Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) fell short of Q3 earnings expectations due to rising materials costs.
• Estee Lauder Cos. Inc. (NYSE: EL) posted strong Q4 results that led shares to a new 52-week high.
• Fossil Inc. (NASDAQ: FOSL) posted better-than-expected Q2 earnings and lifted its full-year forecast.
• JCPenney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP) Q2 profit slipped but still topped analysts' expectations.
• LDK Solar Ltd. (NYSE: LDK) Q2 net income soared, easily beating analysts' estimates.
• Liz Claiborne Inc. (NYSE: LIZ) rebounded from its tumble after its disappointing Q2 report.
• MBIA Inc. (NYSE: MBI) posted strong Q2 results despite downgrades of its financial ratings.
• Newcastle Investments Corp. (NYSE: NCT) despite negative earnings, it announced a quarterly dividend.
• Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA) posted dismal Q2 results and announced a share buyback program.
• Sysco Corp. (NYSE: SYY) Q4 earnings topped expectaitons on demand for bulk food products.
• TJX Cos. (NYSE: TJX) strong Q2 results fell short of expectations, as did the Q3 earnings forecast.
• Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) topped Q2 estimates due to bargain seekers and international sales.

Also, Jim Cramer warns against bearishness on the financials and also suggests that the collapse of commodities will buoy earings.

For more highlights from this week, see: Abercrombie, Macy's, Kohl's, Sirius, UBS, Wachovia and others

Upcoming quarterly reports include Lowe's (NYSE: LOW), Home Depot (NYSE: HD), Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ), Target (NYSE: TGT), La-Z-Boy (NYSE: LZB), Saks (NYSE: SKS), BJ's Wholesale (NYSE: BJ), Limited Brands (NYSE: LTD), Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS), Burger King (NYSE: BKC), Gap (NYSE: GPS), Heinz (NYSE: HNZ), and Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

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

• Best Buy Inc. (NYSE: BBY) beat Q1 estimates as consumers spent their government stimulus checks.
• Carnival Corp. (NYSE: CCL) posted better than-expected Q2 results but offered cautious Q3 guidance.
• Cyberonics Inc. (NASDAQ: CYBX) beat Q4 expectations and offered full-year guidance.
• FactSet Research Systems (NYSE: FDS) had better-than-expected Q3 results and 500 new subscribers.
• General Mills Inc. (NYSE: GIS) raised its full-year guidance, sending shares up near the 52-week high.
• Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) results beat the previous quarter and analysts' estimates.
• John Wiley & Sons Inc. (NYSE: JW.A) doubled its Q4 earnings due to an acquisition.
• Life Partners Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: LPHI) lifted its Q1 outlook after "best quarter" in company history.
• Lindsay Corp. (NYSE: LNN) Q3 profits nearly doubled, but the share price plunged anyway.
• Meade Instruments Corp. (NASDAQ: MEAD) narrowed its full-year net loss due to restructuring.
• Pall Corp. (NYSE: PLL) beat Q1 expectations on sales growth that was broadly based across markets.
• Titan Machinery Inc. (NASDAQ: TITN) beat Q1 estimates on strong demand for agricultural equipment.
• Vermont Pure Holdings Ltd. (AMEX: VPS) posted strong Q2 results despite a bad debt write-off.
• Western Union Co. (NYSE: WU) said 2008 profits would beat estimates and announced share buyback.

More earnings highlights from this week: Morgan Stanley, FedEx, Ford, GE, Circuit City and others

Toro (NYSE: TTC), maker of lawn and snow-throwing equipment and competitor of Deere (NYSE: DE) and Black and Decker (NYSE: BDK), seems to be hitting a rough patch because of the weakened economy. The top line decreased to about $639 million in net sales for the second quarter. Earnings per share skidded almost 10% to $1.60. That was good enough to beat expectations by a penny, as Briefing.com pointed out, but make no mistake about it this was not an impressive quarter.

The company also sported negative operational cash flow. Although Toro used less cash, it still needed $111 million to keep corporate activities going. A look at the most recent 10-K shows that Toro has been generating positive annual cash flows over the last few years, so I wouldn't necessarily worry about this cash-flow statement for now, as it most likely will improve as the year goes on. As a matter of fact, management said in the earnings release that it was confident about the cash flow and intended to repurchase more shares.

But Toro doesn't expect much in the way of growth for the coming year. Guidance calls for flat top-line growth in fiscal 2008 and for net earnings per share to either be flat or to fall 5%. Not an inspirational forecast, let me tell you. With the stock pretty near a 52-week low and with the dividend yield not as high as I'd like, I don't see a reason why an investor should be fooling with Toro right now.

Yes, I do see that management seems confident in the future, and who knows, you could be getting a value here since this is a powerful brand, but I think the shares might be pressured in the coming months if energy costs continue to rise and inflation remains a concern (interestingly enough, Toro shares did rebound in the after-hours session on Thursday after being sold throughout the day in regular trading). No, this isn't the end of Toro, but for me, I'm not inclined to put money to work here until I see at least some strength in the stock.

Disclosure: I don't own shares in any company mentioned; positions can change at any time.

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

• Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) Q2 profits declined on a glut of flash memory chips.
• Bally Technologies Inc. (NYSE: BYI) beat Q3 expectations and offered full-year guidance.
• Barclay's (NYSE: BCS) reported a big Q1 loss on credit-related write-downs.
• Constant Contact Inc. (NASDAQ: CTCT) saw big increases in Q1 revenues and in its customer base.
• Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) Q2 profits rose on international demand, but results just missed estimates.
• Fluor Corp.'s (NYSE: FLR) strong Q1 results are a signal for the energy sector, says Jim Cramer.
• Freddie Mac (NYSE: FRE) Q1 loss widened on the housing slump, but not as much as forecast.
• IndyMac Bancorp Inc. (NYSE: IMB) narrowed its loss but predicted it wouldn't see a profit in 2008.
• LDK Solar Co. Ltd. (NYSE: LDK) Q1 earnings topped forecasts and it raised its outlook.
• MBIA Inc. (NYSE: MBI) reported a larger-than-expected Q1 loss due to write-downs.
• Mindray Medical International Ltd. (NYSE: MR) beat Q1 expectations and raised its full-year guidance.
• Nuance Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) Q2 earnings were in line with analysts' expectations.
• ON Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ: ONNN) beat Q1 expectations and raised its Q2 revenue forecast.
• RealNetworks Inc. (NASDAQ: RNWK) beat Q1 estimates and announced share buybacks and a spin off.
• Salary.com Inc. (NASDAQ: SLRY) missed Q1 forecasts, leading to analysts' downgrades.
• Sykes Enterprises Inc. (NASDAQ: SYKE) beat Q1 estimates and raised its Q2 and full-year forecast.
• Syniverse Holdings Inc. (NYSE: SVR) beat Q1 expectations on strength in "messaging and mobil data."
• Toll Brothers Inc. (NYSE: TOL) warned of lower Q2 profits and more "challenging times" ahead.
• Website Pros Inc. (NASDAQ: WSPI) reported flat earnings despite soaring revenues and operating income.

Deere (NYSE: DE) was trading at $84.99 in early trading, below its close of $90.19 Tuesday.

DE reported Q2 EPS of $1.74 versus consensus estimates of $1.75.

Goldman Sachs says: "Estimates and price target are under review."

DE May 90 straddle closed at $5.95, June at $11.10. DE June option implied volatility of 47 is above its 26-week average of 43 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement.

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

Analysts believe that Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) has kept its hand on the plow. The general analyst consensus indicates solid expectations that the company will continue to perform at or above expectations. According to AOL Money and Finance, analysts are giving indications that Deere is a buy. In defiance of today's market pull back, Deere & Co. shares have gained one half percent as of this writing.

Media sources are openly optimistic about Deere & Co., though actual commentary is sorely lacking. Barron"s did go far enough to cite that some strategic execution failures of Deere competitors have played nicely for the company. With the weakened dollar giving solid momentum to Deere's international growth focus, and Deere equipment systems showing robust independent sales, for the time being the company appears to be a relatively safe harbor for longer term investment dollars.

Year to date return on Deere is just above a negative 3%, but the 5 year return on this company is over 300%. The best earnings estimates that I can lay a hand on hover around $1.75 per share.

Gary Sattler is a freelance blogger. He does not knowingly hold investment positions in the companies mentioned in this blog post.

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

• American International Group Inc. (NYE: AIG) reported a loss of $7.8 billion but raised its dividend.
• Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NYSE: BRL) missed earnings estimates and lowered its guidance.
• D.R. Horton Inc. (NYSE: DHI) posted a larger-than-expected Q2 loss on further write-downs.
• Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM) posted its third straight quarterly loss on the continuing housing slump.
• Hansen Natural Corp. (NASDAQ: HANS) lower-than-estimated Q1 profit led shares to a 52-week low.
• Lazard Ltd. (NYSE: LAZ) net income dropped 71% on a fall-off of M&A activity and a write-down.
• MGM Mirage Inc. NYSE: MGM) Q1 profits were dragged down by decreased consumer spending.
• Pilgrims Pride Corp. (NYSE: PPC) widened its Q2 loss due to the rising cost of feed.
• Playboy Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: PLA) swung to a Q1 loss as revenue declined in all units.
• Qwest Communications (NYSE: Q) net income and revenue fell in the first quarter.
• Scotts Miracle Gro Co. (NYSE: SMG) blamed a slow start to spring for its Q2 profit decline.
• Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Inc. (NASDAQ: TEVA) posted a Q1 loss due to a charge.
• THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) posted a loss for its fourth quarter and revenues flat for the year.
• Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) posted lower-than-expected Q4 results due to the U.S. economic slump.
• Warner Music Group Corp. (NYSE: WMG) Q2 loss widened and it suspended its quarterly dividend.

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

• Activision Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) posted stellar results on the popularity of Guitar Hero and Transformers.
• Airgas Inc. (NYSE: ARG) beat Q4 estimtates with record earnings and raised its guidance.
• Amkor Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: AMKR) beat Q1 expectations on strong demand for wireless.
• Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: APC) reported strong Q1 results that beat Wall Street estimates.
• Barnes Group Inc. (NYSE: B) beat Q1 expectations on its "global reach" and raised its 2008 guidance.
• Coinstar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSTR) beat Q1 expectations and raised its full-year guidance.
• DirecTV Group Inc. (NASDAQ: DTV) posted better-than-expected results and announced share buybacks.
• Double-Take Software (NASDAQ: DBTK) beat Q1 expectations and raised its Q2 and 2008 guidance.
• Goldcorp Inc. (NYSE: GG) profits surged in the first quarter on record high gold prices.
• ICON plc (NASDAQ: ICLR) beat Q1 expectations and raised its full-year guidance.
• Marvel Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: MVL) easily beat Q1 estimates and raised its full-year guidance.
• Molson Coors Brewing Co. (NYSE: TAP) reported a surge in Q1 profits that beat Wall Street estimates.
• Panera Bread Co. (NASDAQ: PNRA) beat Q1 expectations and lifted its Q2 and 2008 forecasts.
• Symantec Corp. (NASDAQ: SYMC) beat Q4 expectations and raised its Q1 outlook.
• Transocean Inc. (NYSE: RIG) Q1 profits more than doubled due to soaring oil prices.
• Unilever (NYSE: UL) posted strong results, with revenues beating estimates for the first time in six years.
• UTStarcom Inc. (NASDAQ: UTSI) released a preliminary guidance well above expectations.
• Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) posted better-than-expected results on success of its theme parks.

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says the bull story here has more causes than just a weak greenback.

Better seeds and more fertilizer. That's it. Those are the technology weapons in the war against food shortages caused in the short term by a worldwide obsession with biofuels (we are the worst offender, of course) and in the long term by the increased affluence in China and India, which leads to more nutritious, protein-filled diets.

Both forces, when combined with worldwide droughts and failed harvests, not augmented by the U.S. -- we are late to start with our corn season -- are driving prices up to ridiculous levels. I have no doubt that if tomorrow the president of the United States said he was suspending the biofuel mandates for ethanol that we would see a collapse in food pricing. But I also have no doubt that this inept administration could never figure that out.

So, the solution comes to all of the stocks that were crushed yesterday: Monsanto (NYSE: MON) (Cramer's Take), Potash (NYSE: POT) (Cramer's Take), Mosaic (NYSE: MOS) (Cramer's Take) and Agrium (NYSE: AGU) (Cramer's Take). Without better seeds that produce higher yields, without more fertilizer that increases yields, we are going to be facing a long-term continuation of these price increases and the attendant inflation and food riots. Inflation, by the way, that has nothing to do with the Fed, unless the Fed is also a big granary hoarding wheat and corn.

Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) shares are trading higher after after competitor Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) posted a first-quarter profit of $922 million, or $1.45 per share, beating analyst estimates of $1.33 per share. This could be a good sign for DE, which reports earnings next month. If you think that the stock won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on DE.

After hitting a one-year low of $53.75 last May, the stock hit a one-year high of $94.77 in January. DE opened this morning at $91.00. So far today the stock has hit a low of $91.00 and a high of $94.80. As of 11:40, DE is trading at $94.10, up $4.66 (5.2%). The chart for DE looks neutral and improving, while S&P gives the stock a neutral 3 STARS (out of 5) hold rating.

For a bullish hedged play on this stock, I would consider a June bull-put credit spread below the $72.50 range. A bull-put credit spread is an options position that combines the purchase and sale of put options to hedge risk in case the stock doesn't do what you think but still leverage nice returns. For this particular trade, we will make a 5.3% return in just two months as long as DE is above $72.50 at June expiration. Deere would have to fall by more than 23% before we would start to lose money. Learn more about this type of trade here.

DE hasn't been below $75 since November and has shown support around $80 recently. This trade could be risky if energy costs fall off some, since that would lower the demand for agricultural accessories, but even if that happens, this position could be protected by the support the stock might find from its 200 day moving average, which is currently around $77 and rising.

Brent Archer is an options analyst and writer at Investors Observer.

DISCLOSURE: Mr. Archer owns and/or controls diversified portfolios of long and short stock and option positions that may include holdings in companies he writes about. At publication time, Brent neither owns nor controls positions in DE or CAT.

Readers of this space know that the investment bias is toward large-cap companies with demonstrated business models and which have a competitive advantage in established markets, preferably with a favorable global trend as a support. And with the above in mind, Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) is worth an evaluation.

Deere, one of the two largest manufacturers of farm equipment in world and a leader in construction and lawn care equipment, is well-positioned to take advantage of several, long-term, global trends. Chief among these are strong international agricultural and international construction/building activity and an expanding international market for consumer equipment sales.

Solid, enduring growth in international agricultural markets is the standout fundamental here, with the segment's revenue growth expected to offset slumps in equipment sales for the cooling U.S. housing market. Other positives: DE's costs remain under control, its balance sheet is strong, and agriculture equipment market conditions suggest the company has modest pricing power. Further, increased use of renewable fuels is likely to add to demand for DE's equipment, assuming at least one renewable fuel gains traction as a practical, affordable alternative to petroleum-based energy.

Deere (NYSE: DE), which closed at $81.25 Monday, is trading at $83.55 recently.

Wheat futures are up 1.92% to 1224 and Corn futures are up 1.02% to $571.50 according to Bloomberg.

DE overall option implied volatility of 46 is above its 26-week average of 41 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement.

Volatility Index S&P 500 Options-VIX down 1.94 to 27.44.

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

Here are a few highlights of this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) beat estimates on strong sales and higher profit margins.
• Baidu.com Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU) profit soared on strong revenue from online marketing.
• Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) earnings and revenue surged in the fourth quarer.
• Dean Foods Co. (NYSE: DF) missed expectations on rising commodity costs and lower profit margins.
• Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) posted better-than-expected profits as rising grain prices spurred demand.
• Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (NYSE: GT) posted solid results on cost savings and debt reduction.
• Insight Enterprises Inc. (NASDAQ: NSIT) beat expectations and raised its guidance.
• LECG (NASDAQ: XPRT) posted a net loss despite a slight increase in revenue in the fourth quarter.
• Loews Corp. (NYSE: LTR) missed estimates due to profit decline in its CNA Financial (NYSE: CNA) affiliate.
• Marsh & McLennan Inc. (NYSE: MMC) missed estimates on weakness in its insurance services business.
• Playboy Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: PLA) posted disappointing results on weakness in publishing and TV.
• Qwest Communications International Inc. (NYSE: Q) fourth-quarter and full-year results met estimates.
• Sierra Wireless Inc. (NASDAQ: SWIR) beat esimates on the launch of new product s.
• Taser International Inc. (NASDAQ: TASR) profits doubled, which was in line with expectations.
• Visteon Corp. (NYSE: VC) posted a fourth-quarter loss on restructuring costs and write-downs.
• Waste Management Inc. (NYSE: WMI) beat espectations and offered 2008 guidance.
• Wyndham Worldwide Corp. (NYSE: WYN) earnings met expectations and were buoyed by lodging revenue.
• Zoltek Companies Inc. (NASDAQ: ZOLT) missed earnings estimates due to inventory buildup.

Upcoming results to watch for include Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT), Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ), OfficeMax (NYSE: OMX), Whole Foods (NASDAQ: WFMI), MGM Mirage (NYSE: MGM), JCPenney (NYSE: JCP), and Safeway (NYSE: SWY).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.