National Semiconductor Corp. (NYSE: NSM), which will hold its annual shareholder meeting later this month, is scheduled to discuss its fiscal first-quarter 2010 results Thursday in a conference call at 4:30 PM ET, featuring CEO Brian Halla, President Don Macleod, and CFO Lewis Chew. See the company's website to find out how to dial in to the call or to catch the live webcast of it.

For the three months that ended in August, analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect the Santa Clara, California-based company to report that its earnings fell 78.8% from a year ago to 7 cents per share, but swung from a smaller-than expected net loss in the previous quarter. Revenue for the first quarter is expected to have fallen 35.5% from a year ago to $300.5 million.

Investors and analysts may be wondering whether the market rally is really over, and whether this signals more trouble ahead for the economy. Well, the Federal Reserve is scheduled to release its next Beige Book report of economic conditions on Wednesday, offering a glimpse of where things stand. The Beige Book report in July suggested that, in some of the 12 Fed districts, the economy appeared to be stabilizing, suggesting that the recession may have reached its bottom, but offering little sign of a recovery. Retail activity remained weak and employment numbers were not good. Yet the minutes of the FOMC August meeting seemed a bit more optimistic about the economy.

In addition to the Beige Book report, the TIPP Economic Optimism Index is scheduled to be released Tuesday, and the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index comes out Friday. So by the end of the week, we could have a good gauge of the mood about the U.S. economy.

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.

As expected, chip maker National Semiconductor (NYSE: NSM), whose colleagues include Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD), Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), and Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN), lost money during its fourth quarter.

However, the loss wasn't as bad as feared. According to Trey Thoelcke's earnings preview, National Semiconductor could have lost up to 42 cents per share. Thankfully, according to the company's press release posted on Thursday after the bell, the business only lost 28 cents per share.

How thankful should we be? I must point out that the company earned 34 cents per share in last year's Q4 period. Also, sales dropped 39% during the past three months. Not only that, but cash from operations from the full fiscal year was down, as was the gross margin on a year-over-year basis (the gross margin increased, however, on a sequential basis compared to the third quarter, so that was a bright spot).

National Semiconductor Corp. (NYSE: NSM), which just turned 50 years old, is scheduled to discuss its fiscal fourth-quarter 2009 results today in a conference call featuring CEO Brian Halla, CFO Lewis Chew, and COO Don Macleod at 4:30 PM ET. You can catch the live webcast of the call on the company's website.

For the quarter in which the Santa Clara, Calif.-based chip maker announced a workforce reduction but also acquired Act Solar, analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect the dividend-paying company to report a loss of $0.42 per share, compared to a profit of $0.34 per share in the same period of the previous year. Revenue for the quarter is expected to have fallen 41.0% to $272.7 million.

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

• Aeropostale Inc. (NYSE: ARO) reported strong Q4 numbers as same-store sales increased.
• American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (NYSE: AEO) same-store sales fell in Q4 but earnings met expectations.
• ArcSight Inc. (NASDAQ: ARST) continued its growth in Q3 and it forecast continued growth.
• Buckle Inc. (NYSE: BKE) posted a better-than-expected Q4 profit and continued same-store sales growth.
• Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) CEO said in a memo that it earned a profit in the first two months of this quarter.
• Dick's Sporting Goods Inc. (NYSE: DKS) beat Q4 earnings estimates but same-store sales fell.

At roughly 7:30 AM EST, National Semiconductor (NYSE: NSM) released its third-quarter earnings report. The semiconductor company announced earnings of 9 cents per diluted share -- down from 16 cents per share in the second quarter.

In last year's third quarter, NSM reported earnings per diluted share of 29 cents per share. According to MarketWatch, the Street expected NSM to post a loss of 5 cents per share. Quarterly revenue dropped to $292 million, short of the consensus estimate of $296.8 million.

After testifying before a Senate committee about AIG (NYSE: AIG) last week, the Fed's Ben Bernanke participates in a Council of Foreign Relations event Monday evening.

Economic data due to be released this week include wholesale trade and job vacancies for January on Tuesday morning, the U.S. Treasury budget for February on Wednesday, retail sales for February and business inventories for January on Thursday morning, and the U.S. trade balance for January on Friday morning.

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.

Analogic Corp. (NASDAQ: ALOG), National Semiconductor Corp. (NYSE: NSM), and Toro Co. (NYSE: TTC) were among this week's big earnings losers as they struggle to adapt to dismal economic conditions.

Analogic said its fiscal first-quarter profit fell 95% from a year ago to $320,000, or 2 cents per share, due to higher manufacturing costs and expenses related to its acquisition last summer of Copley Controls Corp., a manufacturer of MRI machine parts. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had, on average, expected earnings of 52 cents per share for the quarter ended Oct. 31.

Shares fell to a new 52-week low Friday, and closed at $29.65, down 28.5%, on Friday. The share price has fallen 54.2% in the past year.

National Semiconductor reported fiscal second-quarter earnings of $33.9 million, or 14 cents per share, which is 63% below year-ago results. A significant drop in orders from wireless handset makers depressed earnings. Excluding restructuring expenses and other items, earnings fell short of estimates of analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters.

Shares rose $1.36, or 13.2%, Friday to close at $11.65. The share price has fallen 52.5% in the past year.

Outdoor equipment maker Toro said its fiscal fourth-quarter profit fell nearly 100% to $13,000, or less than 1 cent per share, for the quarter ended Oct. 31. Toro took a charge of $4.7 million, or 8 cents a share, to finance early retirements used to trim the company's workforce. Analysts had expected earnings to be 6 cents per share.

Shares rose $1.12, or 3.7%, Friday to close at $31.28. The share price has fallen 46.6% in the past year.

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

Even as the holiday season ramps up and the calendar quarter begins to wind down, earnings reports continue to dribble in. Among the companies scheduled to release quarterly results this coming week, analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters are expecting BWAY Holding Co. (NYSE: BWY), Powell Industries Inc. (NASDAQ: POWL), and Esterline Technologies Corp. (NYSE: ESL) to be among the biggest earnings gainers.

Atlanta-based packaging and container producer BWAY is expected to report fiscal fourth-quarter profits that are 65.6% higher than in the same period of last year, or $0.32 per share on revenues of $265.2 million (+4.9%). BWAY topped estimates in the previous two quarters -- by 44.9% in the third quarter. Those results sent shares to a new 52-week high. But shares have fallen 62.7% in the past three months, and they are now trading near a multiyear low of $4.11 per share.

Houston-based energy equipment maker Powell is expected to report fiscal fourth-quarter profits that are 62.7% higher than a year ago, or $0.59 per share. Revenues are forecast to be 14.2% higher, or $171.8 million. Powell beat expectations in the past three quarters -- by 20.2% in the third quarter. The share price has fallen 47.7% in the past three months, and the consensus recommendation is to buy POWL.

The shares of chipmaker Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (NYSE: CY) are getting hammered today after the company warned that it will swing to a fourth-quarter loss. In a statement, Cypress cited "declining order patterns and turns from all sales channels, all end markets, all geographies, and all of our product lines. In addition, backlog continues to be weak, and we are seeing cancellations and requests for push-outs that are somewhat higher than normal."

The firm now expects to record a quarterly loss of 3 cents to 12 cents per share on sales of $165 million to $180 million. As recently as mid-October, Cypress expected to book a profit of 4 cents to 7 cents per share in the fourth quarter, with sales totaling $194 million to $204 million.

Cypress is hardly the first chip firm to fall on hard times in the current macro environment. The market has already been hit this week with a similar warning from Dow component Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC), while National Semiconductor Corporation (NYSE: NSM) slashed its outlook and announced job cuts.

This afternoon, CY is down roughly 20%, and it's trading less than a point above its current annual low of $2.93. The chip company's warning sparked a rush in the options pits; so far, Cypress has seen more than 6 times its average daily put volume cross the tape. The bulk of these bearish bets have changed hands on the November 4 strike, which has seen volume of 2,113 contracts on open interest of 6,509.

Elizabeth Harrow is an analyst and financial writer in the research department at Schaeffer's Investment Research. She is featured in the video series Schaeffer's Daily Q&A on SchaeffersResearch.com.

While the earnings crunch for this quarter is all but over, there is still plenty of action in the earnings arena this coming week. For instance, analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial are expecting America's Car Mart Inc. (NASDAQ: CRMT) and Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB) to be among this week's top earnings gainers.

Bentonville, Ark.-based America's Car Mart is expected to post net income of 38 cents per share (up 52.6% from the same period a year ago) on revenue of $73.8 million (up 25.8%). The used car dealer chain has tended in recent quarters toward positive surprises -- by 21 cents per share, or 73.5%, in the previous quarter. The long-term EPS growth forecast is 15%, about the same as the S&P 500. The consensus recommendation of analysts is to buy CRMT.

Campell is tentatively scheduled to report this week, and the world's biggest soup maker is expected to post net income of 25 cents per share (up 44.0% from a year ago) on revenue of $1.7 billion (up 7.5%). The Camden, N.J.-based company has just missed earnings estimates in the past three quarters. Its long-term EPS growth forecast is 7.5%, which is less than the industry average, but about the same as rivals Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT) and Heinz (NYSE: HNZ). The analysts' consensus recommendation is currently to buy Campbell.

Other anticipated double-digit earnings gainers scheduled to report this week include brand name apparel maker Guess Inc. (NYSE: GES), mining equipment maker Joy Global (NASDAQ: JOYG), and chip maker National Semiconductor (NYSE: NSM). And Take-Two Interactive Software (NASDAQ: TTWO) is expected to swing to a profit.

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

• ADC Telecommunications Inc. (NASDAQ: ADCT) beat Q2 estimates and raised its full-year guidance.
• Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) near-term earnings prospects led to an analyst downgrade.
• Banco de Chile (NYSE: BCH) earnings prospects after an acquisition led to an analyst's upgrade.
• Benihana Inc. (NASDAQ: BNHN) posted lower Q4 profits but still beat earnings estimates.
• Bob Evans Farms Inc. (NASDAQ: BOBE) reported solid Q4 results due in part to cost management.
• Brown-Forman Corp. (NYSE: BF.B) easily beat Q4 estimates and offered full-year guidance.
• CMGI Inc. (NASDAQ: CMGI) lowered its guidance, sending shares tumbling 25%.
• Coca Cola Hellenic Bottling Co. (NYSE: CCH) warned of weaker earnings due to economic conditions.
• Conn's Inc. (NASDAQ: CONN) reported solid Q1 results and issued in-line guidance for the year.
• Dick's Sporting Goods Inc. (NYSE: DKS) earnings prospects impress analysts despite recent guidance.
• Guess? Inc. (NYSE: GES) topped Q1 expectations due to strong international expansion.
• Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. (NYSE: KKD) swung to a Q1 profit despite falling revenues.
• Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (NYSE: LEH) posted a bigger-than-expected loss on further write-downs.

National Semiconductor (NYSE: NSM) manufactures a broad range of analog and mixed signal semiconductor devices and subsystems. Products include power management circuits, display drivers, audio and operational amplifiers, interface products and data conversion devices. These are used in communications, networking, automotive, test measurement and aerospace applications. Customers include IBM (NYSE: IBM), Motorola (NYSE: MOT) and Sony (NYSE: SNE). Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) is a major competitor.

The firm pleased investors last week, when it reported Q4 EPS of 34 cents and revenues of $462 million. Analysts had been looking for 26 cents and $449.5 million. The gross margin of 65.9% was up sequentially and year over year, driven by cost efficiencies and an improved product mix of higher-value analog devices. Management also guided Q1 revenues to $460-$475 million ($451.22M consensus) and FY09 EPS to about $1.45-$1.51 ($1.24 consensus).