Early this morning, Mattel (NYSE: MAT) announced that its quarterly loss totaled $51 million, or 14 cents per share. This loss met the Street's expectations, but it was also a penny wider than the same quarter a year ago. The toy giant blamed the larger-than-anticipated loss on a stronger dollar and inventory cuts at retailers. Quarterly sales dropped 15% to $785.6 million in the quarter, including a 7% hit from the stronger dollar, reducing overseas sales values.

Mattel's CEO Robert Eckert stated that the company will keep controlling costs as "tough market conditions test the resilience of toy companies," which rely on parents to boost sales. Unfortunately for Mattel, parents have been cutting back on toy purchases in the current market environment, forcing retailers to cut inventories in an effort to curb excess merchandise. The article cites a report from market research group NPD Group that showed total retail toy sales dropped 3% in 2008.

Cash-strapped bargain hunters have made it possible for discount retailers Big Lots Inc. (NYSE: BIG) and Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST) to report healthy profit increases on Thursday.

Big Lots reported that its first-quarter profit rose 20% to $34.5 million, or 42 cents per share, from the same period in the prior year. Quarterly sales grew 2% to $1.15 billion.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial had predicted a first-quarter profit of 36 cents per share on revenue of $1.14 billion.

The Columbus, Ohio-based company said that same-store sales increased 3.4% during the quarter, and also said that results were helped by having about 30 million fewer shares outstanding.

Shares of Big Lots closed up $2.18, or 7.6%, to $30.71. Shares have risen 92.1% since the beginning of the year.

Agri-giant Archer Daniels Midland Co. (NYSE: ADM) and number three burger chain Wendy's International Inc. (NYSE: WEN) are scheduled to report earnings tomorrow morning. Here's a quick peek at them ahead of results.

ADM failed to beat earnings expectations in only two of the past eight quarters. When it reported fiscal 2008 first-quarter results back in November, its earnings per share of 71 cents easily beat the 59 cents consensus forecast of analysts polled by Thomson Financial. Earnings were 59 cents per share in the previous quarter, and 61 cents in the first quarter of 2007. For the current quarter, analysts expect earnings of 74 cents per share.

ADM's 33.4% earnings per share growth forecast for the next three to five years is more than the industry average and the S&P 500. The analysts' consensus recommendation is to buy ADM. Shares have recently climbed toward the 52-week high of $47.33 from back in December, and closed Friday at $45.50.

For Jim Cramer's take and other news that could influence the earnings results, see BloggingStocks' ADM coverage.