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

• Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) earnings prospects and declining sales resulted in a downgrade.
• America's Car-Mart Inc. (NASDAQ: CRMT) stronger-than-expected Q1 results led shares to a four-year high.
• ArcSight Inc. (NASDAQ: ARST) reported strong Q1 numbers on increasing demand for cyber security.
• Brown-Forman Inc. (NYSE: BF.B) Q1 results easily topped expectations despite a decline in revenue.
• Ciena Corp. (NASDAQ: CIEN) posted a Q3 loss but revenue improved sequentially, and shares rose.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (NYSE: KKD) reported results for the second quarter on Thursday after the bell. I haven't been a huge fan of this company, but I will concede that some of the data in the release is interesting. Maybe even encouraging.

The same-store sales went up 5.9% -- they were terrible last year at this time. Same-store sales are, as we all know, a very key metric for a business like Krispy Kreme. And the performance served as a positive counterargument to the 12% decrease in the top line.

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

• Aetna Inc. (NYSE: AET) lowered its 2009 earnings guidance, initially sending the share price lower.
• Ciena Corp. (NASDAQ: CIEN) reported a bigger-than-expected Q2 net loss as revenues sank.
• Collective Brands Inc. (NYSE: PSS) saw Q1 earnings and sales decline, but beat Wall Street estimates.
• Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) earnings prospects led Goldman Sachs analysts to increase its forecasts.
• Guess? Inc. (NYSE: GES) weak Q1 results topped estimates and it offered guidance that pleased investors.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts' (NYSE: KKD) stock has had a nice run of late. It's doubled so far on the year-to-date frame. Is there something to this story? Before, there was nothing. Krispy Kreme has been a very troubled business, and it would be very difficult to convince me otherwise. But, have things changed?

Well, net income did drop in Q1. Krispy Kreme said it made t $0.03 per share. Last year at this time, the doughnut guru earned $0.06 per share. Although the profit decline isn't attractive, I liked the comps. Same-store sales at company locations increased over 2%.

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

• Analogic Corp. (NASDAQ: ALOG) Q1 earnings plunged well below expectations due to costs.
• CKE Restaurants Inc. (NYSE: CKR) solid Q3 earnings were in line with analysts expectations.
• Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST) beat Q1 expectations and same-stores sales increased.
• Dow Chemical Co. (NYSE: DOW) lowered its guidance and announced layoffs and factory closings.
• Eastman Kodak Co. (NYSE: EK) withdrew its guidance due in part to weak consumer spending.
• Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) lowered its outlook due to weaker-than-expected holiday sales.
• Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE: LLY) offered a full-year profit forecast that missed analysts' expectations.
• FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) lowered its earnings guidance and announced price increases.
• FuelCell Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: FCEL) reported a deeper-than-expected loss but topped sales estimates.
• H&R Block Inc. (NYSE: HRB) Q2 net loss was in line with expectations but revenue fell short.
• Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE: HIG) raised its full-year forecast, doubling the share price.
• Hooker Furniture Corp. (NASDAQ: HOFT) shares sold off following disappointing Q3 results and outlook.
• Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. (NYSE: KKD) reported a deeper-than-expected Q3 loss on increased costs.

Now, why on earth would anyone invest in Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (NYSE: KKD)? Sure, if you were bored one day and wanted to do some gambling because you couldn't make it to a casino, then you maybe could use a little bit of your risk capital to fool around with the everyday gyrations of the shares. Other than that, there's no reason to consider this once-hot stock of yesteryear.

As one might expect, Krispy Kreme reported a GAAP loss for the third quarter. The red ink was worth $0.09 per share, which was eight pennies worse than the previous year's quarter. The press release talks about a few factors that affected the dismal showing. Let's see, increased commodity costs led to higher doughnut-mix prices. Shortening was also more expensive. Then there was the increase in gasoline prices. Of course, the release was quick to point out that fuel prices did retreat recently, so I don't think the company will be able to use that excuse next time around. Krispy Kreme has a load of problems that go beyond the macro environment. Simply put, it's a mess of a company that needs to get its turnaround act in order.

Stepping away from the bleak GAAP picture for a moment, I will say that Krispy Kreme did improve its free-cash-flow prospects. Net cash from operations saw an increase, and capital expenditures saw a decrease. That may be a welcome improvement, but in no way does that mean I suddenly see value in this business. Krispy Kreme's brand equity needs a radical jumpstart, and I'm simply inclined to pass on the stock.

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

The clock is ticking and the pollsters are bouncing around faster than ever with varying results. My latest wager was not on a stock, but a box of 24 doughnuts with a friend who thinks McCain will win the election.

Given the post-Palin slide of the McCain campaign we have been hearing about for the past six weeks, I thought this was a sure thing. Then we learn -- not so fast folks! -- things can change.

Presidential Race Tightens, AP Poll Says Wow, I'll say, they can change. Is this a case of "better the devil we know than the angel we don't"? Although many voters have a throw the bums out mentality, putting Republicans out of favor for the moment, in times of crises perhaps people are rethinking whether they would not prefer the familiar to the enchanting.

This seems to be the election of the enchanted so far. Barack Obama and John McCain were underdogs at the beginning of the presidential primaries but have withstood their critics harshest blows and came out on top.

Brother, can you spare a nickel?

In a sign of the oh-so-like- the-Great-Depression times, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (NYSE: KKD) franchises in Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon, along with other related franchisees in the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii, are selling coffee for five cents. The one-per-customer-per-visit bargain is being named the Krispy Kreme New Deal.

I love the concept. Dunkin Donuts has been offering lattes and breakfast sandwiches for 99 cents in the afternoons to boost traffic in the slow time; and Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) is about to roll out a "gold card" good for 10% discounts on all products. The card, which carries a $25 annual membership fee, is not a credit card but is a parallel program with the regular Starbucks gift card, which allow you to receive bonuses (a free flavoring or other upgrade for your latte beverage, for instance).

Unfortunately, the two simultaneous and mutually exclusive card programs are confusing and a scant benefit. Customers used to buy 10, get one free punch cards at independent coffee houses will see quickly that paying for a 10% discount is hardly a great deal.

In a climate of disappearing disposable income on one hand, and a contingent of consumers that are always seeking out better and more sustainably-grown and traded coffee beans on the other hand, Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) is losing in all fronts. Today, Dunkin Donuts announced that its coffee had beaten Starbucks' brew in independent taste tests across the country; 476 adults in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, and Seattle participated in a double-blind taste test, comparing Dunkin Donuts Original Blend against Starbucks House Blend. Exact numbers were not released, but the research firm said the customers "clearly indicated a preference" for the Dunkin.

This isn't the only blow against Starbucks in the media this week; last week, a story about the new Juan Valdez Cafe chain highlighted the pressure from the other end of the competition spectrum: quality and sustainability. Coffee sold at the 101 stores across Colombia and in New York, Seattle, Philadelphia, Spain, and Santiago, Chile is grown by 22,000 shareholders who are looking to market their beans; according to this article, they're not hoping to profit from the cafe enterprise, even though the collective plans to open 500 more stores across the U.S., Latin America and Europe in the next two years. What's more, coffee is slightly cheaper at Juan Valdez Cafe than at Starbucks in New York City.

Starbucks is being squeezed into an uncomfortable middle ground between the low-price, blue collar product on one end (Dunkin Donuts) and the eco-friendly, high-quality product on the other end (Juan Valdez). The only thing it has going to keep its profits from splattering all over the wall is customer loyalty ... and oatmeal. Will it survive?

Another volatile week had passed over Wall Street, but by the end of it investors started breathing a sigh of relief in anticipation of the bailout plan. Those hopes were shattered Thursday night. Many believe that if the bailout plan doesn't get approved soon, the landscape on Wall Street will be very different, changing even more than it already has. The consequences of a financial meltdown would reverberate throughout the economy, here and globally.

Once again, BloggingStocks bloggers have looked at different stocks, trying to find the ones you may want to consider during these troubled times should you find yourself with some extra cash. Nerves of steel are a requirement for any investor these days.

Here are some picks from the past week:

Johnson and Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) - not only do Ron Rowland and Brandon Clay remind us that Johnson and Johnson was rated the world's most respected company, Cramer says that JNJ "is a super stock. Well managed, great earnings, good pipeline ..."

Monsanto (NYSE: MON) - as the undisputed leader in the genetically modified (GM) seed industry, Yiannis Mostrous and Roger Conrad think long-term-oriented investors will be rewarded handsomely with Monsanto.

Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) and JP Morgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) - Joe Lazzaro thinks these banks' sizes may be what would save them as the they are simply too big to fail. Cramer agrees both banks stand to gain much and will do very well if the bailout is approved. With the recent acquisition of Washington Mutual Inc. (NYSE: WM), Jon Berr thinks John Pierpont Morgan would have been proud of Jamie Dimon.

Troubled business Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (NYSE: KKD) wants to use one of America's favorite treats -- ice cream -- to help bring it back to its glory days. The ice cream will be a soft-serve concoction, and the hope is that it will add another dimension of value for Krispy Kreme's patrons beyond the core doughnut portfolio. I guess the former pastry star thinks that if you're not in the mood for a doughnut, maybe you're in the mood for ice cream. (Full disclosure: I don't like ice cream!)

You know, I can't really criticize the effort. Seems like a simple enough way for Krispy Kreme to expand its base of offerings. But will it suddenly set the company on a path of unfettered growth? I can't say I see that. From an investor's point of view, Krispy Kreme is the same stock to be avoided as it was before I read about this ice-cream initiative. In fact, it was only recently that I took a look at the company's earnings and realized that I remained a bear on the business. I still think investors would be better off looking at ideas such as McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) and Burger King (NYSE: BKC) before Krispy Kreme. Yeah, they're not big on doughnuts, but they do well with burgers and fries, and they're a better way to play chains that sell less-than-healthy foodstuffs.

The ice cream plan is definitely a worthwhile experiment. But if management is just going to throw it on the menu without launching an aggressive advertising campaign in support, then I'm not sure how much good it can actually do. I've seen turnaround plans before that try to exploit some new product or project but fail to give it a proper push. We'll have to see what kind of push Krispy Kreme goes for with its ice cream, but I'm still not a buyer of the stock.

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

Last week's preview raised the question of whether consumers were turning to comfort foods in these uncertain times, specifically in terms of second quarter earnings of Campbell Soup (NYSE: CPB) and Krispy Kreme (NYSE: KKD). Campbell's strong earnings growth topped expectations, while Krispy Kreme narrowed its loss, though it fell short of estimates.

This coming week should bring reports from more food-related companies, from cereal maker General Mills and food packager CongAgra to grocery chain Kroger, to the parent companies of restaurants Cracker Barrel, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Carl's Jr., and Hardees. Also look for reports from tech-related companies such as Oracle, Adobe, and Palm, as well as from financials Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, and from economic bellwether FedEx.

Here's what analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial are expecting from some of the companies reporting earnings this week, as compared to their results from the same period of last year:

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

• America's Car-Mart Inc. (NASDAQ: CRMT) topped Q1 expectations on strong growth of same-store sales.
• Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB) strong Q4 results led shares to a new 52-week high.
• FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) boosted its Q1 forecast due to the recent drop in oil prices.
• Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (NYSE: KKD) narrowed its loss in Q2 but fell short of expectations.
• Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (NYSE: LEH) released Q3 results early to calm investor concerns.
• PharmaNet Development Group Inc. (NASDAQ: PDGI) was downgraded after lowering its guidance.
• Shuffle Master Inc. (NASDAQ: SHFL) fell short of analysts estimates, reporting flat year over year earnings.
• Texas Instruments Inc. (NYSE: TXN) reaffirmed its outlook when investors had expected a cut.
• Ulta Salon Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc. (NASDAQ: ULTA) beat estimates and offered Q3 and full-year outlook.
• Washington Mutual Inc. (NYSE: WM) was upgraded despite its disappointing Q3 results.

Upcoming quarterly reports include Kroger (NYSE: KR), Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE), Best Buy (NYSE: BBY), Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS), General Mills (NYSE: GIS), Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS), ConAgra (NYSE: CAG), FedEx (NYSE: FDX), and Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

Here's a quote from the CEO of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (NYSE: KKD), Jim Morgan, on the company's latest quarterly results: "We are not satisfied with our financial results for the second quarter." That quote can be found in the earnings press release issued by the pastry maker earlier in the week. He's right. Things could be better.

Net sales for Q2 declined over 9%. The net loss for the quarter was $0.03 per diluted share. Granted, this was a vast improvement on a year-over-year basis. In last year's Q2, the red ink was pegged at $0.42 per diluted share (which included impairment charges and lease terminations to the tune of $0.35 per share). As I pointed out in my earnings preview, the expectation was for a loss of a penny.

Now, here's something interesting. When it comes to cash flow, Krispy Kreme actually did all right. On a six-month basis, management reported approximately $9.5 million in cash from operations. In the comparable period twelve months ago, the company generated $1.9 million from operations. But, you know, somehow I don't think the operational cash flow is going to do much for me this time around. When I gaze at the overall picture, see where this company has been and where it is now, look at the comps, etc., I can't say I'm moved to take it seriously as a potential investment idea. Obviously traders are having a ball with it. I can't, however, say that I even want to use it as a trading vehicle.

Later today, after the market closes, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (NYSE: KKD) will serve up second-quarter numbers for fiscal 2009. And as far as I'm concerned, I'm expecting nothing great at all from this horrible company and its equally horrible stock. Yeah, I know, Krispy Kreme been a trader's dream this year. Krispy Kreme's shares have risen nearly 27% this year. On a six-month basis, the performance is even better: the stock is up more than 54% during that timeframe.

Sure, some have made money this year trading the famous doughnut maker. Still, on a 5-year basis, the stock has lost 90% of its value, and on a 3-year timeline, the decline is around 40%. The stock closed at $4 per share on Wednesday. Do I really want to buy this lottery ticket ahead of the earnings? Maybe if ultra-risk capital were involved, and I was willing to lose it all. I really don't expect to be blown away by the earnings report if the past is any indication. According to Earnings.com, Krispy Kreme has reported many misses. Granted, last quarter wasn't too bad. As Trey Thoelcke found, the company swung to a profit of $0.06 per share. This represented a good round of earnings growth. Revenues, however, had decreased 7%.

Last quarter's bottom-line improvement in no way excites me. The way I see it, this is a speculative idea at best, one that really doesn't have much of a bull thesis. Again, the stock performance argues against me, and the company could beat estimates if it can repeat its recent performance. The call for Krispy Kreme's Q2 income is a loss of $0.01. I mean, would it be so difficult to merely break even, or maybe book a penny or two of positive earnings per share?