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

• American International Group Inc. (NYSE: AIG) posted a big loss and warned of more to come.
• CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS) beat expectations even though its fourth-quarter profit fell.
• DreamWorks Animation Inc. (NYSE: DWA) 2007 earnings and revenue soared, lifted by Shrek the Third.
• HJ Heinz Co. (NYSE: HNZ) posted solid third-quarter earnings and revenue.
• Koppers Holdings Inc. (NYSE: KOP) beat fourth-quarter expectations and approved a share buyback plan.
• Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) raised its first-quarter and full-year guidance on subscriber growth.
• Nortel Networks Corp. (NYSE: NT) missed expectations due to rising operating costs.
• Origin Agritech Ltd. (NASDAQ: SEED) 2007 earnings sank, missing analysts' expectations.
• Salesforce.com Inc. (NYSE: CRM) beat fourth-quarter estimates and offered revised guidance.
• Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) narrowed its loss due to a surge in subscribers.
• Swiss Reinsurance Co. (OTC: SWCEY) quarterly EPS plunged but 2007 decline was less than expected.
• Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA) reported strong fourth-quarter and full-year results.

Also, analysts predict that bank losses will be the highest in 20 years. Timothy Sykes recommends investors not become starstruck by superstar companies such as Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG).

Upcoming results to watch for include Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS), Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ: COST), and Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

All it takes is some news to make you realize the risk involved in smallcap investing. That news came in the form of a horrific earnings report last night from Origin Agritech (NASDAQ: SEED), showing revenues and margins decreasing along with guidance that was more than 50% below the estimates of the one analyst that covers the company.

I often advise against trusting any company whatsoever, but it's rare that one lets investors down so greatly. I had no position in the stock, but along with Converted Organics (NASDAQ: COIN) and Titan Machinery (NASDAQ: TITN), I profiled Origin back in January as an up and coming agriculture stock. Since then, two of those three stocks have broken out to new highs in a similar fashion to this hot sector's leaders like Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (NYSE: POT), Mosaic (NYSE: MOS), Monsanto (NYSE: MON) and Agrium Inc. (NYSE: AGU).

Performance aside, those billion dollar behemoths are established companies, with global investors and brands, while these new kids on the block are the exact opposite. Plagued by having few products, fund raising problems and debt issues, this 50% shortfall exemplifies just one of the many issues with which small-cap companies struggle. I mean they are really fighting for lives! And that's why they are priced the way they are and derided by Wall Street.