Durable goods are products that should last more than 3 years. That usually includes things like appliances, furnishings, and heavy equipment. The Commerce Department tracks this data and the number of orders for these things popped up an extra 4.9% in July, which was a nice surprise.

Why do I care whether North Americans are buying a new fridge? This is actually a metric you should watch for insight into potential corporate profits. If durable goods (which tend to cost a lot) are being purchased at an increasing rate, it bodes well for the companies that produce and sell those products.

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

• Aeropostale Inc. (NYSE: ARO) strong Q2 results beat expectations due to rising same-store sales.
• Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) Q3 earnings topped low expectations and revenue declined.
• Analog Devices Inc. (NYSE: ADI) posted better-than-expected Q3 results but shares fell on weaker margins.
• Baidu Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU) CEO said its new advertising efforts will boost sales over the long run.
• Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) had a better-than-expected Q2 profit but same-store sales fell.
• BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. (NYSE: BJ) reported solid Q2 numbers and raised its full-year guidance.

Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) didn't have the best quarter when it reported this morning, but it was better than the market expected. The largest home improvement retailer in the U.S. saw net income of $1.12 billion, down from $1.2 billion from the year-ago quarter. It reported earnings per share of $0.67, ahead of the consensus analyst estimate of $0.59.

The retailer's shares had dipped over 3.8% Monday to close at $26.11 joining in the huge Dow plunge. Will HD shares recover? According to pre-market action, it certainly seems that way, as the retailer did skid through its latest quarter without huge bumps and bruises. Still, as markets have shown yesterday, there is the realization that the consumer won't be spending the economy towards a recovery. At least, not in 2009.

While its rival Lowe's Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW) reported weak quarterly results today, Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) is scheduled to discuss its second quarter 2009 results tomorrow morning in a conference call at 9:00 AM ET. You can catch the live webcast on the company's website.

In that quarter, Home Depot declared a quarterly dividend of 22.5 cents per share, as well as shared its long-term priorities with analysts. The Atlanta-based home improvement chain is expected to report that earnings fell 16.9% from a year ago to $0.59 per share, according to analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters. That's up from better-than-expected $0.35 per share in the first quarter, though. Revenue for the second quarter is expected to be 8.4% lower to $19.2 billion. Earnings have topped estimates in recent quarters, by as much as 10 cents per share.

Last week we looked at expectations for some retail earnings. More shopping mall favorites are reporting second-quarter results this week, and analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters are looking for significant earnings growth from some of them.

Aeropostale Inc. (NYSE: ARO), the teen-focused retailer spun off from Macy's (NYSE: M) in 1998, is expected to post a second-quarter profit that is 44.6% higher than a year ago, or $0.56 per share. Revenue for the quarter is expected to be 19.7% higher, or $451.3 million. For the full year, the forecast so far is for $2.98 per share (+25.8%) on $2.2 billion (+14.6%). Earnings of the New York-based company have matched estimates in recent quarters. The long-term EPS growth forecast is 13.9%, which is better than the retail industry average and rival Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF). Aeropostale's earnings multiple is 12x, and this debt-free company's cash flow from operations swung into positive territory in the first quarter. The First Call consensus recommendation is to buy ARO; The Motley Fool identified it as a Wall Street favorite. Shares are down a couple of bucks from the 52-week high of $38.74 back in July, but are still 123.0% higher year to date.

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

• Barnes Group Inc. (NYSE: B) withdrew its 2009 earnings guidance due to uncertainty in transportation.
• Brown-Forman Corp. (NYSE: BF.B) Q4 profit beat estimates and it offered guidance for next year.
• Del Monte Foods Co. (NYSE: DLM) posted strong Q4 results on price increases and a better tax situation.
• FuelCell Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: FCEL) posted lower Q2 sales but announced a big order from South Korea.
• Men's Wearhouse Inc. (NYSE: MW) lower Q1 profit topped estimates but the outlook was in line.
• National Semiconductor Corp. (NYSE: NSM) Q4 net loss and fiscal-year profit both beat estimates.

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

• American Capital Agency Corp. (NASDAQ: AGNC) earnings prospects earned it an analyst's upgrade.
• Broadpoint Securities Group Inc. (NASDAQ: BPSG) earnings prospects improved with recent acquisitions.
• Clorox Co. (NYSE: CLX) was upgraded on the belief that its fiscal year outlook is too conservative.
• Deutsche Bank (NYSE: DB) earnings prospects resulted in an upgrade from JPMorgan.
• Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) Q1 profit and same-store sales fell and it offered a weak outlook.
• Movado Group Inc. (NYSE: MOV) bested Q1 expectations and forecast a considerable profit for the full year.

"I have four Hurricane Season stock picks -- two bullish, two bearish -- to play this summer's potentially wild weather," says Sean Broderick in his Uncommon Wisdom advisory.

"Last year's stormy weather spawned 16 named storms, which was higher than the long-term average of about 10 tropical storms and six hurricanes per year in a typical Atlantic hurricane season.

"The major hurricane forecasters have now made their predictions, and it's for a 'moderate' hurricane season. That's good news for America's oil and gas industry.

Analyst upgrades:

• Deutsche Bank upgraded Lloyds Banking (NYSE: LYG) to Buy from Sell as it believes shares are attractively valued based on the company's earnings potential post recession.
• Susquehanna upgraded MercadoLibre (NASDAQ: MELI) to Positive from Neutral based on valuation and improving macro trends. The firm has a $29 target on the stock.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Williams-Sonoma (NYSE: WSM) to Buy from Neutral on valuation following the recent pullback.
• MetLife (NYSE: MET) and Torchmark (NYSE: TMK) were upgraded to Strong Buy from Outperform at Raymond James.
• Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman.

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.

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

• Aeropostale Inc. (NYSE: ARO) beat profit expectations as revenue and same-store sales both increased.
• Aruba Networks Inc. (NASDAQ: ARUN) received an analyst's upgrade following its Q3 report.
• Buckle Inc. (NYSE: BKE) reported better-than-expected Q1 expectations as revenue surged.
• Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB) higher Q2 earnings beat expectations and sent shares upward.
• Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) reported better-than-expected Q3 earnings, sending shares higher.

Analyst upgrades:

• Barclays believes Procter & Gamble's (NYSE: PG) portfolio mix provides better leverage to stabilizing macro trends. The firm upgraded shares to Overweight from Equal weight and raised its target to $60 from $56. Note the firm downgraded Colgate (NYSE: CL) to Equal Weight from Overweight.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) to Buy from Hold as it finds the risk/reward on shares compelling at current levels and sees upcoming catalysts from McCafe and easing commodity pressures. The firm raised its target price to $65 from $60.
• FBR Capital upgraded Talbots (NYSE: TLB) to Outperform from Market Perform to reflect an attractive risk/reward, reduced risk of a bankruptcy, and merchandise improvements. The firm raised its target price to $4 from $2.
• Nokia (NYSE: NOK) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Analog Devices (NYSE: ADI) was upgraded to Neutral from Underperform at Baird.

Home Depot (NYSE: HD) reported its first quarter numbers today, topping Wall Street estimates, but cautioning that the company's business remains under pressure from the current housing crisis.

Ahead of today's earnings report, analysts had been expecting to see Home Depot, the nations largest home improvement retailer, show earnings of 29 cents per share for its first quarter, but the company surprised to the upside with 35 cents per share. Sounds like good news, but Wall Street has been selling the stock off so far in today's action.

So, the story doesn't start off so well. Lowe's (NYSE: LOW) issued its Q1 numbers earlier today, and right off the bat, beginning at the top line, you see that net sales declined over 1%. Then you notice that profit on a dollar basis plunged over 20%. Earnings per share? That also took a dive of over 20%.

Then you look at the stock. And you say to yourself, "what's going on?" As I write this, with less than three hours to go in the trading day, shares of Lowe's are trading almost 10% higher! On excellent volume, too. As you might have thought, an earnings beat was lurking somewhere in the plot of this particular tale. Lowe's earned $0.32 per share in Q1. According to Trey Thoelcke's earnings preview, the market thought that only $0.25 could be achieved. This differential is helping to fuel the buying.

While the markets may have rallied recently, there's been little improvement in housing, credit, or consumers' pullback on discretionary spending. That's not good news for home improvement giants Lowe's Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW) and Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD), which are both scheduled to report first-quarter results this week. And the expectations of analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters bear out that sense that these companies aren't out of the woods yet.

Lowe's is scheduled to discuss its first-quarter results tomorrow, May 18, in a conference call at 9:00 AM ET with CEO Robert A. Niblock, president Larry D. Stone, and CFO Robert F. Hull, Jr. You can catch the live webcast of the call on the company's website, or in the U.S. and Canada listen in by dialing 1-888-817-4020.