Another day, another Donald Trump lawsuit.

Bloomberg reports that "Trump and Los Angeles-based Irongate Development allegedly induced buyers with marketing materials touting Trump's involvement when he had merely licensed his name to the project, known as Trump Ocean Resort Baja, according to the complaint filed yesterday on behalf of 69 condo buyers in state court in Los Angeles."

The real estate market is as bad as it gets, so lenders are getting cold feet about big projects. Even Donald Trump, who can usually work magic filling his buildings with tenants, is running into problems. (It should be noted he has never been good at the casino business and spends too much time doing TV junk like The Apprentice).

Trump may not have much of an argument. He wants an extension to the loan for his residential tower in Chicago, which means a portion of its has lapsed. Why the banks involved, including Germany's largest bank, Deutsche Bank (NYSE: DB), would do that is unclear.

According to The Wall Street Journal, "The suit demands -- among other things -- that an extension provision in the original loan agreement be triggered because of the unprecedented financial crisis in the credit markets now prevailing, in part due to acts Deutsche Bank itself participated in." In other words, the financial crisis almost rises to the level of being an "act of God." Not quite, but getting close.

Trump's real problem is not the banks. Since everyone in the U.S. is poor, no one wants to buy his expensive Chicago condominiums. A lawsuit won't solve that.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 24/7 Wall St.

The focus of last week's preview was on oil and energy companies, and we saw that big oil had a good week, reporting better-than-expected results and record profits driven by high prices in the third quarter. Energy-related companies are well represented again this week and expectations in general remain high.

Early in the week, analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial anticipate that the big earnings gainers will include EOG Resources Inc. (NYSE: EOG), Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: APC), and Cimarex Energy Co. (NYSE: XEC), which are expected to post profits of $2.24 per share (up 64.7% from a year ago), $1.48 per share (up 52.7%) and $2.26 per share (up 61.1%) respectively. All three of them have offered positive surprises in recent quarters, and analysts on average recommend buying EOG and Anadarko. Other expected big earnings gainers early in the week include Forest Oil Corp. (NYSE: FST), Pioneer Natural Resources Co. (NYSE: PXD), Comstock Resources Inc. (NYSE: CRK), and MasterCard Inc. (NYSE: MA). The earnings of phosphates producer Innophos Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: IPHS) are expected to have risen 92.3% to $3.37 per share. Innophos beat estimates in the previous quarter by a whopping 210%, and analysts have been impressed with Innophos's lack of debt and pricing gains despite the slowing economy, so, on average, they recommend buying IPHS.

Also early in the week, analysts expect Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (NYSE: GT), Kaiser Aluminum Corp. (NASDAQ: KALU), and Oshkosh Corp. (NYSE: OSK) to report that their profits fell 52.9% to $0.33 per share, 45.1% to $0.67 per share, and 41.2% to $0.67 per share, respectively. These companies have tended to beat estimates in recent quarters, and the consensus recommendations of analysts are to buy them. However, PMI Group Inc. (NYSE: PMI), one of the largest private mortgage insurance providers in the U.S., is expected to take another hit as the housing slump drags on. The California-based company is expected to have widened its net loss from $1.04 per share a year ago to $2.43 per share in the most recent quarter. Its shares are down 84.5% from a year ago, and have been trading recently near their 52-week low.

Last month I wrote about the Clown Prince of Nepotism Donald Trump Jr.'s grandiose announcement of plans to raise $1 billion to invest in India's booming real estate market.

Now BusinessWeek's HotProperty column is expressing some skepticism. After noting that Trump got the idea back in November after speaking at a real estate conference in Mumbai, Prashant Gopal notes that "The market has changed quite a bit since then. Inflation and interest rates are climbing and shares of Indian builders, home price appreciation, and demand for land are slowing. [...] Of course, this might be a good time to jump in and pick up land at distressed-sale prices. But he will be competing against established players."

Still: the fact that Trump Jr. appears to have struck upon this idea at the height of the market is indicative of something.

But I wouldn't worry too much: the "announcement" of a $1 billion fund struck me as a more of grandiose publicity ploy/plea for credibility from a reality TV bit-player than a ground floor opportunity to get in with real estate development's next big star. I'll believe otherwise when Trump announces he's raised the money, and I won't be holding my breath.

Donald Trump Jr, the rather uncharismatic son of reality television personality Donald Trump, is looking to set up his own fund to invest in India's until recently red hot real estate market.

The younger Trump told Bloomberg that "The fund will be for acquisitions of real estate in the high end, and across the spectrum. The market place is beginning to understand and appreciate luxury, so there is a great opening for us there, as well as in resorts.''

He's looking to raise $1 billion, but given how cheap investors have become of late, I'm skeptical. What exactly are his credentials? He's 30-years-old, works for daddy, was a judge on his father's reality show, and -- the icing on the cake -- he was ousted from the board of the condo association where he lives.

If this guy can raise a billion bucks, then the economy is considerably stronger than we're giving it credit for ... or investors are considerably dumber.

But for now, these are just "plans" to raise "up to" $1 billion. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the money to role in, and frankly, this looks like a publicity ploy designed to create the impression that Trump Jr. is someone to be taken seriously.

The New York Post reports that the NYPD is conducting an internal affairs investigation into assault charges filed against a woman involved in ousting Donald Trump's son from the board for the condo he lived in. The Post reports that NYPD investigation documents say the charges were "beefed up" as a result of pressure from The Trump Orgainzation.

Eugenia Kaye was accused of punching the building's resident manager in the eye. According to a statement filed by a police officer who arrived at the scene, Daniel Gozalez, the assaulted manager, "was pressured by the Trump organization to beef up the complaint against Ms. Kaye to have her arrested, because she had Donald Trump Jr. ousted as a board member of the building."

What does Donald Trump have to say about this? He called Kaye a "terrible person" but added that he knows "nothing about it." If that seems like somewhat of a contradiction to you, it does to me too. There's a juicy tale on condo association intrigue somewhere in here, but there aren't currently enough details available.

This post from Gothamist has some of the reasons Ms. Kaye got Trump Jr. kicked off the board. To many, just having Donald's Trump blood running through your veins should be a good enough reason to get the boot.

Ivanka Trump -- the daughter of comedy icon Donald Trump and a director at his flailing casino company, Trump Entertainment Resorts (NASDAQ: TRMP) -- is back from a trip to Israel where she was scouting out possible investment opportunities.

In an interview with Haaretz.com, she said that it was her first trip to Israel and that she saw tremendous opportunities for investment in Israel. If you care about her opinions on the US market, she feels that "now is the time to buy" and that prices will "go right back up."

It was only a few years ago that the Israeli government established the laws to make real estate investments trusts available there. Excellence Investments' "REIT 1" became the first REIT to trade on the Tel Aviv stock exchange.

Once an Israeli REIT lists its stock on the US market as an ADR, American investors will have an easy opportunity to follow Ivanka into Israel.

Trump Entertainment Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRMP) has sold its Trump Marina Hotel to New York-based Coastal Marina for $316 million. In a self-congratulatory press release, Trump chairman "Donald J. Trump" said that the hotel "has been an important part of our company with a loyal customer base and a dedicated team."

Well then it's good news that they sold it. In the past year, shares of Trump Entertainment Resorts have gone from $16 to as low as $2.29. The stock is up more than 20% today, but it's still a tiny fraction of its former high. Who knows: maybe if they sell all the important parts of the company the stock will go back over $5. Trump Entertainment Resorts really is that bad, having reported a pre-tax loss of $249 million last year.

But good news for my fellow Donald Trump haters: Coastal Marina is planning to rename the hotel "Margaritaville." Trump Entertainment CEO Mark Juliano commented that "The execution of this transaction will provide us with additional financial flexibility to effectively master-plan the future path of our company in the midst of an overall transformation which has already been marked by many successes."

Reality check: the company has lost $252 million since inception. Whatever its "many successes" are, they have been heavily outweighed by failures.

It was a thrilling -- and badly needed -- reminder that it's possible to be unsuccessful in business by underestimating the intelligence of the American people.

While wandering through the clearance section at Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS), I stumbled on a stack of copies of Think Big and Kick Ass in Business and Life, Donald Trump's newest book published in October of last year. The price? $4.99, a steep discount from the $26.95 listed on the jacket. A look inside shows that this book is a first edition, first printing -- meaning that the publisher -- Collins -- badly overestimated demand.

I opened to a random page and -- no joke -- this is the first line I read: "With Rosie O'Donnell it got a lot worse. Rosie O'Donnell is a total degenerate." We then get to read five pages about how horrible Rosie is and also, of course, how great Donald Trump is.

Confession: I bought the book. It was only five bucks and I just couldn't help myself. I am thrilled that the Donald seems to be on a heck of a losing streak. Celebrity Apprentice was a flop and his cologne has sold poorly, and yet he's continued to receive big pay for his failing casino company.

But wait! In a sign that Trump may actually have some sense of taste, Celebrity Apprentice has turned down O.J. Simpson's request to appear on the next season.

This post is one of several on business heirs apparent. Let us know in the comments whether you think about Ivanka Trump, and be sure to check out the other heir apparent posts.

Ivanka Trump, 26, daughter of Donald Trump, is an heir apparent to her dad's real estate and entertainment holdings. Her business title is the vice president of real estate development and acquisitions at the Trump Organization, which is a holding company for many of Trump's businesses (Trump's casinos are part of Trump Entertainment Resorts (NASDAQ: TRMP).

Ivanka, while arguably the most famous of Trump's children, isn't his only heir apparent. Her siblings Donald, Jr., and Eric are also currently executive vice presidents, according to Wikipedia. But she stands out as the one likely to claim the top job given her love of the limelight -- she is a frequent cover girl and has appeared on the Apprentice -- as well as her oft-proclaimed drive to succeed in business.

However, I for one am getting sick of all the talk about her heir apparent status. Money-losing casinos, licensing deals for everything from hotels to cologne, and a TV show that's been in rapid decline since the end of its first season? That empire? What's second prize, 50 shares of Bear Stearns?

Today's New York Times contains a full-page ad for Donald Trump's The Celebrity Apprentice. Right below a picture of his wildly unattractive visage, we read -- in italics and bold -- that "Once again, Donald Trump's 'The Apprentice' comes out on top," followed by some pretty obscure statistics cherry-picked to show that the show is actually a hit: #1 among 18 to 49-year-old adults on Thursday nights three times, for example.

The ad also brags about the ratings success of the first season of Trump's show -- which was way back in 2004. Taking out full-page ads to rest on your laurels is a pretty interesting marketing strategy.

What's interesting is that, by more objective standards, The Celebrity Apprentice is a flop. PerezHilton reported that the number of viewers watching the show declined a shocking 26% from its premier to its second episode. The 8.2 million viewers the show attracted in its second week was less than half of what the original Apprentice got in its prime.

Here's a tip to NBC and "Mr. Trump": if you have to take out full-page ads with obscure statistics to try to convince people that your show is a hit, your show is a flop.

In a related story, Trump Entertainment Resorts (NASDAQ: TRMP) closed on Tuesday at $3.43 -- a year ago it was trading over $17 a share. Hey Donald, put that in your full-page ad.

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

• BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. (NYSE: BJ) beat fourth-quarter estimates on lower costs and strong sales.
• Ciena Corp. (NASDAQ: CIEN) first-quarter profit doubled on strong sales, lifting the sector.
• Clean Harbors Inc. (NASDAQ: CLHB) trounced expectations as it completes acquisitions.
• Del Monte Foods Co. (NYSE: DLM) beat estimates on cost cutting and raised its guidance.
• HSBC Holdings PLC ADS (NYSE: HBC) profit soared in 2007, beating analysts' expectations.
• Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) lowered its first quarter earnings forecast, citing weak chip prices.
• LeapFrog Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: LF) narrowed its losses for the fourth quarter and full year.
• LKQ Corp. (NASDAQ: LKQX) beat fourth-quarter estimates and raised its guidance.
• Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY) widened its losses in both the fourth quarter and full year.
• Staples Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS) reported a solid fourth quarter and increased its annual dividend.
• TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO) posted a smaller-than-expected fourth-quarter loss due to licensing deals.
• Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc. (NASDAQ: TRMP) fourth-quarter and full-year losses widened.
• Universal Health Services (NYSE: UHS) beat earnings expectations but matched revenue estimates.

Also, Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) struggles to maintain profitability against competitor Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ). See Timothy Sykes's take on Warren Buffett's annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) shareholders. And Zac Bissonnette is interested in where earnings actually come from.

Upcoming results to watch for include Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), Boston Beer Co. (NYSE: SAM), J. Crew Group Inc. (NYSE: JCG), Jones Soda Co. (NASDAQ: JSDA), Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX), and Men's Wearhouse Inc. (NYSE: MW).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

New York-based Saks Inc. (NYSE: SKS), the operator of Saks Fifth Avenue department stores, reported that its fourth-quarter profit almost doubled, helped by solid sales, cost controls, and one-time gains.

Earnings came to $39.5 million, or 26 cents per share, during the period that ended February 2, compared with $21.5 million, or 14 cents per share, in the same period of the prior year. Sales rose almost 5% to $999.7 million in the fourth quarter. Analysts had expected EPS of 20 cents on revenue of $993.61 million, according to a survey by Thomson Financial.

For the year, Saks earned $47.5 million, or 31 cents per share, compared with $53.7 million, or 40 cents per share, a year earlier. Sales rose to $3.28 billion, almost 12% higher than the previous year.

"I remain very positive about the long-term prospects for the luxury sector and specifically for our Saks Fifth Avenue business, " said Chief Executive Stephen Sadove. However, privately-held Neiman Marcus Inc., which reported fiscal second-quarter results today, saw only a modest rise of 8% in profits and 6% in revenue.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am officially declaring an end to the comeback of Donald Trump. The signs have been there for awhile: rampant overexposure, a feud with Rosie O'Donnell, declining ratings on "The Apprentice," a falling stock price on Trump Entertainment Resorts (NASDAQ: TRMP), a terrible book with the clown of personal finance, Robert Kiyosaki, and an appearance on World Wrestling Entertainment (NYSE: WWE).

But now it's all over. I stumbled upon Donald Trump's much-hyped cologne "Trump: The Fragrance" at Marshalls -- but it wasn't just at TJMaxx (NYSE: TJX). It was on clearance at Marshalls: $8 a bottle, way, way below its suggested retail price of $48.

I was going to get it for my dad as a gag gift (the one person I know who can stand Trump less than I can), but decided to save the money. When I told my dad about it, his reaction is a pretty good indicator of why the cologne was obviously a huge flop. Here's what he said:

If I want to smell like Donald Trump, I'll save the $8 and go roll around in dog crap.

Amen dad.

Lots more quarterly reports rolled out this past week, and here are some highlights of earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) reported more losses and more job cuts.
• Alvarion Ltd.'s (NASDAQ: ALVR) record quarter fuels speculation of a Cisco (NYSE: CSCO) buyout.
• Avon Products Inc.'s (NYSE: AVP) profit rose 61%, buoyed by strength in emerging markets.
• Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) fell short of expectations due to tighter margins.
• CIGNA Corp. (NYSE: CI) had a solid quarter but warned about 2008 earnings.
• Clorox Co. (NYSE: CLX) blamed profit loss on materals costs, and announced acquistion of Burt's Bees.
• Colgate-Palmolive Co. (NYSE: CL) beat estimates by a penny and had strong sales overseas.
• Crocs Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX) beat earnings estimates and revised its full-year forecast.
• Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) announced it would restate revenues, ahead of its November quarterly report.
• Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) missed expectations, also due to tighter margins.
• Given Imaging Ltd. (NASDAQ: GIVN) cited FDA approval delays for disappointing results.
• Hertz Global Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HTZ) posted record revenues and appointed a new CFO.
• Humana Inc.'s (NYSE: HUM) positive surprise lifted the share price to a new all-time high.