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

• Archer Daniels Midland Co. (NYSE: ADM) easily beat Q1 estimates due in part to higher prices.
• Bankrate Inc. (NASDAQ: RATE) posted strong Q3 numbers due in part to financial market volatility.
• Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK.A) Q3 results were hurt by derivatives loss and hurricane damage.
• Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) had a brutal Q3 due to writedowns and a scarcity of deals.
• BMW Q3 earnings tumbled due to slower vehicle sales brought on by the economic downturn.
• Dean Foods Co. (NYSE: DF) fell short of Q3 estimates but reaffirmed its full-year guidance.
• Ford Motor Corp. (NYSE: F) reported a modest Q3 loss and a quickly dwindling stockpile of cash.
• Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE: GS) first-ever quarterly loss is predicted by at least one analyst.
• Kenexa Corp. (NASDAQ: KNXA) was downgraded by one analyst following its Q3 report.
• MasterCard Inc. (NYSE: MA) easily beat analysts' Q3 projections, sending shares soaring.
• Move Inc. (NASDAQ: MOVE) reported solid Q3 results on cost cutting and website revamp.
• Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (NYSE: POT) price-target cuts since its Q3 earings report continue.
• Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S) broke even in Q3, but Wall Street had been expected a modest profit.
• Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) net profit plunged due to the economic slump and strength of yen.
• Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) fell short of Q4 expectations despite popular High School Musical.
• World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: WWE) Q3 profits tumbled and revenues were flat.

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

• AnnTaylor Stores Corp. (NYSE: ANN) sees Q1 profits beating estimates but reaffirmed the full-year outlook.
• Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI) beat Q1 earnings expectations but fell short of revenue estimates.
• Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) posted strong Q4 and full-year results on titles such as Rock Band.
• Fossil Inc. (NASDAQ: FOSL) forecast Q1 earnings just a penny below analysts' estimates.
• IMAX Corp. (NASDAQ: IMAX) doubled its Q1 loss and missed Wall Street's expectations.
• JC Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP) profits fell 50%, and it predicted trouble would continue through the year.
• Kohl's Corp. (NYSE: KSS) posted a smaller-than-estimated Q1 profit decline and cut its full-year outlook.
• Liz Claiborne Inc. (NYSE: LIZ) swung to a Q1 loss on restructuring but beat analysts' expectations.
• Lumber Liquidators Inc. (NYSE: LL) posted strong Q1 results despite the housing slump.
• Macy's (NYSE: M) beat low Q1 expectations despite weak same-store sales.
• Nissan Motor Corp. (NASDAQ: NSANY) Q4 profit surged but it warned of lower profits this year.
• Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN) posted smaller-than-estimated Q1 profit decline and cut its full-year outlook.
• Priceline.com Inc. (NASDAQ: PCLN) beat Q1 expectations due to increased bookings.
• Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) posted a narrower Q1 loss in line with expectations.
• Sony Corp. (NYSE: SNE) swung to a Q4 profit but fell short of Wall Street estimates.
• Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S) beat low Q1 estimates as its loss widened on charges and lost subscribers.
• Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) projected beating Q1 earnings forecasts and raised its dividend.
• Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) posted Q1 profits up on international growth and bargain shoppers.
• Whole Foods Market Inc. (NASDAQ: WFMI) Q2 profits fell due to the Wild Oats acquistion.
• XM Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: XMSR) reported a bigger-than-expected Q1 loss and a surge in subscribers.

Despite Sprint Nextel Corp.'s (NYSE: S) share price being down more than 50% in the past year, shares were up 7.5% last week -- up 46.5% in the past montyh -- on all the buzz surrounding Sprint lately. There are rumors that Deutsche Telekom (NYSE: DT) may buyout Sprint and merge it into T Mobile. Then there were rumors that Sprint may spin off Nextel (i.e., undo its troubled merger). And there's the excitment around a joint venture with Clearwire Corp. (NASDAQ: CLWR) to create a high-speed wireless internet network that covers most of the U.S.

But when Sprint reports its first-quarter results tomorrow, analysts polled by Thomson Financial expect the company to report earnings of a mere penny per share, down from the same period in 2007 when it earned 18 cents per share, and from the previous quarter's 21 cents per share. The company has beat quarterly estimates over the past year -- by 17.3% in the fourth quarter -- and it certainly has plenty of room to best analysts' low expectations for this past quarter.

Overland Park, Kansas-based Sprint Nextel operates a nationwide digital wireless network with more than 50 million subscribers. In the past year, Sprint's revenues were $40.1 billion. The company's long-term EPS growth forecast is 8.22%, which is less than the 8.67% of rival Verizon (NYSE: VZ) and the S&P 500. The consensus recommendation of analysts continues to be to hold Sprint.

Shares closed Friday at $9.39, up from a 52-week low of $5.48 in March, but still well off the 52-week high of 23.42 last June.

For news that could influence these results, see BloggingStocks' Sprint coverage.

There's been lots of buzz with Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE: S) lately. And it's to be expected -- in light of the intense competition, heavy customer churn, and the ailing stock price. For example, there were rumors that Deutsche Telekom is mulling a buyout of Sprint. Another possibility is that the company will unwind its Nextel merger.

Such things may happen. But, in the meantime, it looks like there may be another mega deal. According to a piece in the Wall Street Journal [a paid publication], it looks like Sprint is about to announce a $12 billion joint venture with Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR). Some of the key investors would include Google, Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC).

Essentially, the new entity will roll-out a massive footprint for high-speed wireless Net access. No doubt, such a thing would be a nice thing for Google -- which needs a stronger mobile strategy -- as well as Intel, which needs to sell more chips. In other words, it's ideal for a multi-billion dollar cash call.

As for Sprint, this deal looks like a must-have. In other words, it will provide a differentiator in the tough marketplace.

There are still some big-time risks. After all, coordinating a project among a variety of heavyweights is never easy to manage.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates MergerBook.com.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Three years into its $35B takeover of Nextel, the Wall Street Journal reported that Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE: S) is considering selling or spinning off the troubled unit. Few details were available and a deal is not imminent.
• The Wall Street Journal also reported that pressure is mounting on Citigroup Incorporated's (NYSE: C) CEO Vikram Pandit to show that he can turn around the troubled bank. Executives believe Pandit, who has been praised for his cautious and deliberate approach, has been taking "too long" to make crucial decisions.

• According to a person close to Google Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG), Reuters reported that Google and Yahoo! Inc (NASDAQ: YHOO) are still "hammering out the intricacies" of a potential advertising and search deal. The source said no final agreement has been reached yet.
• ABC News learned that if Rupert Murdoch does not testify in a lawsuit accusing one of his companies of "corporate espionage," it may cost News Corporation (NYSE: NWS) hundreds of millions of dollars, a federal judge overseeing the trial said. News Corp has denied any wrongdoing, and lawyers maintain Murdoch had no direct knowledge of the unit's alleged hacking into EchoStar Corporation's (NASDAQ: SATS)/DISH Network Corporation's (NASDAQ: DISH) security code and posting it on the Internet.

"Despite a host of near-term issues, Sprint (NYSE: S) has many of the attributes we look for in a turnaround stock: a solid core business, well-known brands, new management, manageable cash flow and even an activist shareholder to stir things up," notes George Putnam, III.

In his industry-leading The Turnaround Letter, the advisor looks expert at the firm, which he notes traces it roots back to the Brown Telephone Company in Kansas in 1899.

"When the long-distance market was opened to competition in the early 1980's, Sprint moved in aggressively. In early 2005, Sprint acquired Nextel, which had become a major wireless competitor with its innovative 'push to talk' technology that combines elements of the walkie talkie and the cell phone.

"The $35 billion transaction was supposed to vault Sprint into the leadership of the wireless market. Unfortunately, the combined company stumbled. Difficulty in integrating the two companies led to poor customer service which drove some consumers away.

"Investors, who had initially applauded the Nextel acquisition, pushing the stock above $27 in mid-2005, became concerned, and the stock has been in a steady decline for the past two-and-a-half years. And the company's poor earnings report on February 28 further discouraged Wall Street.

It seems Chicago, home of Wrigley Field and the Sears Tower, has hired a marketing firm to explore the potential of offering naming rights to public property, programs, and other assets as a way of raising revenue. The city hopes to begin attracting corporate sponsors as soon as next spring. Any proposed sponsorship will have to be approved by an advisory committee made up of civic leaders, whose job it will be to ensure the integrity of the city's brand image.

Chicago isn't the only city to consider offering naming rights. New York has partnerships with Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), and Pepsico (NYSE: PEP), and the Las Vegas monorail is sponsored by Nextel (NYSE: S). Winnipeg, Calgary, and Toronto also have similar programs.

Chicago is no stranger to naming rights issues. The city has already attempted to sell naming rights to the Chicago Skyway, which links the city to the Indiana Tollway. Many White Sox fans decried the name change of New Comiskey Park to U.S. Cellular Field, and an attempt to sell the name of Solider Field ultimately went nowhere. Many Windy City shoppers still haven't forgiven Macy's Inc. (NYSE: M) for changing the name of State Street institution, Marshall Fields.

But Chicago hasn't yet found itself in the embarrassing situation that Houston did after the naming of Enron Field. I wonder if there was an advisory committee to protect the integrity of Houston's brand image?

There is probably a rumor a day about Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) picked up in the media. The latest one is that the huge search company will buy No. 3 wireless firm Sprint (NYSE: S). Tech industry website TMCNet says that it has heard that Google may just buy Sprint outright.

The story may sound nuts, but there is a tiny chance there is some fact buried in there. Google could certainly use the blueprints of Sprint's WiMax network and fund the $5 billion build-out to create a national wireless high speed network. It would probably be cheaper than bidding for wireless spectrum from the FCC.

And, any deal would give Google access to Sprint's 50 million plus wireless customers. That could offer the new Google handset software a massive distribution advantage.

Is the rumor true? Who knows. It could send Sprint's stock up for a day or two.

Douglas A. McIntyre is a editor at 247wallst.com.

So, it's interesting to see that Sprint receives such a bad rap these days. In my experience over a few years, the company's products, service and support are top-notch. I cannot say that about my experience with T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) or Cingular, now AT&T (NYSE: T). Dropped calls with those providers were normal, and the value was just not there for what Sprint supplies. Things may have changed since 2005, of course.

It can't be a good thing when a CEO resigns without even the pretense of "spending more time with his family." Sprint-Nextel Corporation (NYSE: S) CEO Gary Forsee has been the focus of investor and analyst anger for some time now; on Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported Sprint management was searching for his replacement and recently, he was targeted by activist investor Ralph Whitworth. In September, Eric Buscemi wondered if his time had run out thanks to his Failure to Turnaround. A whole year following the company's purchase of Nextel, integration was still questionable and EBITDA was forecasted to be billions lower than expected.

According to a statement from Sprint, CFO Paul Saleh will serve as interim CEO while the board finds (finishes finding?) a new CEO. Interestingly, Sprint says it is targeting candidates outside the company. And in what seems to be a "might as well dish all our dirt at once" move, Sprint said it was forecasting a third-quarter net loss of 337,000 post-paid subscribers (the ones who have annual contracts and pay their bills each month).

The news was already cheering up investors; after a nasty drop of 51 cents, or 2.68%, to $18.50 on the day, the stock was up in after-hours trading to $19.05; erasing all the day's losses and then some. The company's stock is near a two-year low.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reported that Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE: S) is disconnecting about 1,000 customers who have been calling customer service "excessively."
• According to the Wall Street Journal, Apollo Management has raised its offer for Huntsman Corporation (NYSE: HUN) to $28 a share, valuing Huntsman at $6.5B.
• The Financial Times (subscription required) reported that Moody's Corporation (NYSE: MCO), the credit rating agency, will issue a report today criticizing the private equity industry's increasing use of debt to buy companies.
• The Financial Times reported that Dow Jones and Company's (NYSE: DJ) board is reportedly making a final attempt to find a rival bidder for the company to compete with News Corporation (NYSE: NWS), contacting billionaire Ron Burkle.

• Virgin Media Inc's (NASDAQ: VMED) bankers have contacted ComCast Corp (NASDAQ: CMCSA) and DirecTV Group Inc (NYSE: DTV) to help "kick-start' an auction for the company, reported The Mail on Sunday.
• The New York Post reported, citing sources, that theme park operator Cedar Fair Entertainment (NYSE: FUN) has contacted private equity firms about the possibility of acquiring the company.