“EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Barbie maker Mattel Inc.’s fourth-quarter net income fell 17 percent, weighed down by a litigation charge.

Its performance missed Wall Street’s expectations for the critical holiday period, and its shares fell almost 2 percent in premarket trading. It also raised its dividend.

The world’s largest toy maker earned $306.5 million, or 87 cents per share, for the three months ended Dec. 31. That compares with $370.6 million, or $1.07 per share, a year ago.

Removing the litigation charge, earnings were $1.12 per share. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected $1.15 per share.

Revenue for the El Segundo, Calif.-based company rose 5 percent to $2.26 billion from $2.15 billion.Wall Street forecast $2.3 billion.

The November through December holiday period is key for toy makers because it can make up to 40 percent of their revenue during the time. Toy sellers have been under pressure as more kids clamor for electronic gadgets like tablets. In addition, toy sellers like Wal-Mart and others have been cautious ordering inventory.

Worldwide gross sales for the Mattel girls and boys brands climbed 5 percent in the quarter. The figure jumped 55 percent for its other girls brands, mostly because of its Monster High products. At American Girl, worldwide gross sales increased 13 percent. The figure rose 6 percent for Fisher Price.

Results were not as good for Barbie, which reported a 4 percent decline in worldwide gross sales. The Wheels segment, which includes Hot Wheels, Matchbox and the Tyco R/Co brands, posted a 1 percent dip primarily due to Matchbox…”

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“(Reuters) – Merck & Co Inc’s quarterly results beat estimates, helped by strong sales of its Januvia diabetes drug and Gardasil vaccine against cervical cancer, but the company forecast 2013 profit at the low end of expectations.

Merck also said Friday it will not seek approval until next year for osteoporosis treatment odanacatib, a delay that Jefferies analyst Jeffrey Holford said “will disappoint many investors,” and hurt shares today.

The stock fell 1.5 percent to $42.60 before the market opened.

The No. 2 U.S. drugmaker said it earned $1.4 billion, or 46 cents per share, in the fourth quarter. That compared with $1.51 billion, or 49 cents per share, in the year-earlier period, when it took charges for acquisition and restructuring expenses.

Excluding special items, Merck earned 83 cents per share. Analysts, on average, expected 81 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Global company sales fell 5 percent to $11.74 billion, hurt by generic competition for its Singulair asthma drug, but still topped Wall Street targets of $11.48 billion.

The company forecast 2013 earnings of $3.60 to $3.70 per share, excluding special items. The midpoint of that range is below analysts’ estimate of $3.68 per share. The company earned $3.82 per share in 2012….”

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“Credit Agricole SA (ACA), France’s third- largest bank by market value, will book 2.68 billion euros ($3.64 billion) of goodwill writedowns in the fourth quarter to reflect stricter rules and a worsening economy.

“These measures do not involve any cash outflows and do not affect the strength of the group,” the Montrouge-based bank said in a statement today. While the goodwill charges come “primarily” from complying with tighter rules, “they also reflect the present macro-economic and financial environment in the relevant countries and business lines,” it said.

Credit Agricole’s total one-time charges, which include costs related to a revaluation of its own debt and a writedown on its stake in Portugal’s biggest publicly traded bank, will reduce the bank’s net earnings by about 3.8 billion euros. Credit Agricole, which had 16.9 billion euros in goodwill on its balance sheet at the end of September, is taking the writedowns following recent recommendations from the European Union’s markets authority.

The European Securities and Markets Authority called on Jan. 21 for improvements in disclosures after reviewing 800 billion euros of goodwill assets at 235 companies in 23 countries across Europe. Goodwill is an accounting convention that represents the amount paid for an acquisition over and above the fair value of its net assets.

‘Cleaning Operation’….”

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“Sharp Corp. (6753), the Japanese TV-maker that has warned about its ability to survive, posted a narrower loss helped by job cuts, asset sales and a weaker yen.

The net loss was 36.7 billion yen ($398 million) in the three months ended Dec. 31, compared with a loss of 174 billion yen a year earlier, according to a statement today. The Osaka- based company was expected to report a 34 billion yen loss, based on the average of three analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

Japan’s

largest maker of liquid-crystal displays has shed staff and sold a stake to Qualcomm Inc. as it restructures amid slowing TV sales and competition from Samsung Electronics Co. Sharp and other Japanese exporters have also benefited from the yen’s about 15 percent plunge since the end of September, which boosts the repatriated value of overseas sales.

“The weaker yen is helping Japanese TV-makers like Sharp improve business,” Keita Wakabayashi, a Mito Securities Co. analyst in Tokyo, said before the announcement. “Demand hasn’t yet shown any significant recovery.”

The company reiterated that it expects an annual loss of 450 billion yen, its second straight unprofitable year. Sony Corp. andPanasonic Corp. (6752), Japan’s two biggest TV-makers, have also announced turnaround plans because of losses from producing televisions.

Sharp made an operating profit, or sales minus the cost of goods sold and administrative expenses, of 2.6 billion yen in the three months ended Dec. 31. It had an operating loss of 24 billion yen a year earlier. Third-quarter sales totaled 678.2 billion yen.

Job Cuts…”

“Whirlpool Corp.’s WHR +2.32% fourth-quarter profit sank 40% as the home appliances company was bogged down by one-time charges, although core earnings improved sharply and came in above Wall Street estimates.

For the current year, Whirlpool forecast earnings of between $9.25 and $9.75 a share, above the $9.17 expected by analysts polled by Thomson Reuters.

Chief Executive Jeff Fettig said Whirlpool had successfully improved operating margins through cost-based price increases, product mix, cost and capacity-reduction initiatives and ongoing productivity programs.

“Those actions, combined with improving trends in U.S. housing and growth opportunities in emerging markets, create positive momentum going into 2013,” he said….”

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“Time Warner Cable Inc.’s TWC -7.15% fourth-quarter profit fell 9% as the cable television provider saw higher costs and taxes mask improved revenue.

The company also raised its quarterly dividend to 65 cents a share from 56 cents.

Like its peers, Time Warner Cable’s video business faces a soft economy and competition from the likes of Verizon Wireless’s FiOS service. As a result, cable distributors are focusing more on expanding their broadband cable and business services units, where profit margins tend to be higher because they don’t face the high programming costs associated with the video operations.

Time Warner Cable’s core video subscriber business lost 129,000 subscribers from the third quarter, while the company acquired 75,000 broadband subscribers. It gained 34,000 voice subscribers.

Revenue from residential services, which comprises the biggest chunk of the company’s revenue, increased 6.8% to $4.58 billion. Meanwhile, business services revenue jumped 26% to $515 million, while advertising revenue rose 29% to $313 million….”

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“Blackstone Group LP BX +4.24% swung to a fourth-quarter profit as the private-equity giant recorded strong revenue, driven by growth in both performance fees and management and advisory fees.

The results beat Wall Street estimates.

As of the quarter’s end, total assets under management reached a record $210.22 billion, up 26% from the year earlier, as all of Blackstone’s investment businesses continued to see net inflows and carrying-value appreciation.

Chief Executive Stephen Schwarzman said the latest quarter “capped a year of record financial performance for Blackstone,” noting that the year’s results were the firm’s best since becoming a public company more than 5½ years ago.

Blackstone posted a profit of $106.4 million, or 19 cents a unit, compared with a year-earlier loss of $22.7 million, or five cents a unit. On the basis of so-called economic net income, the firm reported a profit of 59 cents a unit, versus a profit of 42 cents a unit a year earlier. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters recently expected a per-share profit of 47 cents.

Private-equity firms view economic net income as a better barometer of performance because it includes unrealized gains and employee compensation. The performance metric also accounts for all units, not just those that are publicly traded.

Total revenue climbed 33% to $1.23 billion as total performance fees rose 31% and management and advisory fees climbed 27%. Investment income doubled to $111.7 million. Analysts had expected $1.11 billion in total revenue.

Total expenses jumped 23% to $542.7 million….”

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“Spanish bank Santander, the biggest in the eurozone by market value, said its net profit plunged in 2012 as it wrote off nearly 19 billion euros ($26 billion) on bad loans and property assets in Spain.

The charges slashed net profit last year by nearly 60 percent but left Santander’s balance sheet looking more secure.

The group said it made 12.7 billion euros in provisions for non-performing loans in Spain and another 6.1 billion euros for Spanish real estate exposure — 18.8 billion euros in total.

A property market collapse in 2008 left Spain’s banks awash with bad loans and destroyed millions of jobs….”

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“United Parcel Service Inc. UPS -1.21% swung to a fourth-quarter loss on a pension-accounting related charge of $3 billion, masking broad revenue growth.

Adjusted earnings missed Wall Street estimates and the company projected a weak 2013 profit. For the year, the package-delivery giant estimated per-share earnings of between $4.80 and $5.06, while analysts polled by Thomson Reuters recently expected $5.11.

UPS and other big transport companies are viewed as economic bellwethers because they transport everything from financial documents and pharmaceuticals to auto parts and electronic devices. The company recently abandoned its roughly $6.7 billion deal for Dutch rival TNT Express NV TNTE.AE -1.66% as it anticipated that the proposed merger would be blocked by European competition authorities.

For the latest quarter, the company reported international volume—viewed as an indicator of global trade—grew 2.2%.

Meanwhile, international export volume—a measure of how many packages cross national borders—was up 5.5% after increasing slightly during the third quarter, helped by growth out of Asia for the first time in several quarters.

Average revenue per package increased 1.4%. The measure had slipped in the third quarter despite higher volume as its handles an increasing number of lighter-weight, e-commerce related shipments….”

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“TOKYO (AP) — Honda’s quarterly profit surged nearly 63 percent as production recovered after disruptions from natural disasters, but the Japanese automaker slightly lowered its full-year profit forecast because of sales losses in China.

Tokyo-based Honda Motor Co. reported a 77.4 billion yen ($850 million) profit for the October-December period Thursday. Quarterly sales jumped nearly 25 percent to 2.4 trillion yen ($26 billion).

All the Japanese automakers are seeing a dramatic recovery from the quake and tsunami in northeastern Japan in 2011, which destroyed key suppliers.

Honda was also hurt by flooding in Thailand in late 2011. On top of the sales recovery, they are getting a perk from a weakening yen, which helps lift the value of overseas earnings.

Japanese automakers are reporting solid sales increases in the key U.S. market and in Asian countries such as India and Indonesia. The exception is China where anti-Japanese sentiment flared up last year over a territorial dispute, and Honda expects to lose sales of 20,000 vehicles compared with its earlier plan….”

“MIDLAND, Mich. (AP) — Dow Chemical saw significant deterioration in key markets during the fourth quarter, particularly in China, and posted a wider fourth-quarter loss Thursday.

The company lost $716 million, or 61 cents per share, compared with a loss of $20 million, or 2 cents per share, in the same quarter the year before.

Excluding restructuring and other charges, the Midland, Mich., company earned 33 cents per share, a penny shy of Wall Street estimates.

Revenue slipped about 1 percent to $13.92 billion from $14.1 billion, as sales slipped in North America, Europe, and Asia. That was still better than most analysts had expected, according to a poll by FactSet.

“The second half of 2012 saw significant deterioration in the markets we serve, particularly in China,” said Chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris. “In response, Dow identified and took aggressive action to mitigate the effects of a slow-to-no-growth global environment.”

China earlier this month showed some signs of a rebound, but it remains vulnerable economically. The economy grew by 7.8 percent, which was China’s weakest annual performance since the 1990s….”

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“(Reuters) – Aetna Inc said on Thursday that fourth-quarter earnings fell sharply, as costs rose in parts of its employer-based insurance business and it took charges for settling litigation over payment practices for out-of-network care.

The health insurer also said Chief Financial Officer Joseph Zubretsky would lead a new business internally. Shawn Guertin, who has been with Aetna since 2011 and was previously CFO of Coventry Health Care Inc , which Aetna is buying, will replace Zubretsky on February 25.

The Hartford, Connecticut company announced plans in August for the $5.6 billion acquisition of Coventry, part of a strategy to expand in government-sponsored healthcare programs like Medicare.

Aetna said fourth-quarter net income declined to $190.1 million, or 56 cents per share, from $372.6 million, or $1.02 per share, a year earlier.

The latest results include a $78 million after-tax charge for the $120 million settlement reached in December for the class-action lawsuit. Patients and doctors had accused Aetna of systematically underpaying claims.

Excluding special items, the company reported earnings of 94 cents per share. Analysts on average were expecting 95 cents on that basis, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S….”

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“NEW YORK (Reuters) – Nasdaq OMX Group reported a higher fourth-quarter profit on Thursday, as an increase in non-transaction-based revenues outweighed an industry-wide drop in trading volumes.

Net income attributable to the transatlantic exchange operator totaled $85 million, or 50 cents a share, up from $82 million, or 45 cents a share, a year earlier.

Stripping out one-time items including restructuring, merger, and legal expenses, Nasdaq said it earned 64 cents a share. That was 3 cents above analysts’ expectations, on average, according toThomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Revenues, not including transaction rebates, brokerage, clearance and exchange fees, were $419 million, compared to $420 million a year earlier. Analysts had expected revenue of $412.01 million.

Nasdaq’s results were “driven by a significant pick-up in corporate activity coupled with solid performance in our U.S. options, U.S. proprietary data products and global index businesses,” Bob Greifeld, the company’s chief executive, said in a statement.

Nasdaq has been diversifying away from transaction-based revenues over the past several years, putting more of a focus on business units that provide a steadier income flow through providing services like technology and data to other companies….”

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(Reuters) – MasterCard Inc , the world’s second-largest credit and debit card network, reported a higher fourth-quarter profit as more people choose card payments over cash.

“For the quarter ended December 31, net income rose to $605 million, or $4.86 per share, from $19 million, or 15 cents per share, a year earlier.

The company took a $495 million litigation charge in the year-ago quarter.

Revenue rose 10 percent to $1.9 billion.

Cardholders made $727 billion of purchases worldwide, on a local currency basis, up 13 percent.”

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“PulteGroup Inc. (PHM), the best performer in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (SPX) last year, said fourth- quarter profit quadrupled as the homebuilder’s sales increased amid a U.S. real estate revival.

Net income was $58.7 million, or 15 cents a share, compared with $13.8 million, or 4 cents, a year earlier, the Bloomfield Hills, Michigan-based company said today in a statement. Revenue climbed to $1.57 billion from $1.26 billion.

Demand for new houses is rising as inventories of existing properties tighten and mortgage rates hover near record lows. U.S. new-home sales jumped 20 percent last year to the highest since 2009. PulteGroup, the largest homebuilder by market value, has lowered costs to boost profitability as orders climb.

“They’re improving in line with the market,” Megan McGrath, an analyst at MKM Partners LLC inStamford, Connecticut, said by telephone yesterday. “They lagged it for a little bit, especially on the margin side. But the rising tide of housing has helped them out.”

McGrath has a neutral rating on the stock….”

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“Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA), Europe’s biggest energy company, said investment will increase after fourth-quarter profit missed analyst estimates on weaker U.S. and Canadian fuel prices.

Excluding one-time items and inventory changes, profit was $5.6 billion. That was below the $6.2 billion average estimate of 11 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Net capital spending of about $33 billion this year compares with $30 billion in 2012…”

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“MENLO PARK, Calif., Jan. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Facebook, Inc. (FB) today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2012.

“In 2012, we connected over a billion people and became a mobile company,” said Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO. “We enter 2013 with good momentum and will continue to invest to achieve our mission and become a stronger, more valuable company.” ..”

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“Boeing says its top priority this year is to fix the battery problems that grounded its 787.

The company made the pledge while reporting a fourth-quarter profit that topped Wall Street estimates, as rising profits from commercial jets offset a smaller profit from defense work.

Boeing earned $978 million in the latest quarter, or $1.28 per share. That was down 30 percent from $1.39 billion, or $1.84 per share, a year earlier, which included a big tax benefit.

The profit topped the $1.19 per share expected by analysts.

Revenue rose 14 percent to $22.3 billion.

Boeing Co. says earnings this year will be $5 to $5.20 per share, with revenue of $82 billion to $85 billion. The outlook assumes “no significant financial impact” from the 787 being out of service.”

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“(Reuters) – Chrysler Group LLC reported a rise of 68 percent in fourth-quarter net income, to $378 million from $225 million a year ago, driven by higher vehicle sales in its home North American market.

For all of 2012, Chrysler said its net income was $1.67 billion, up from $183 million in 2011.

Chrysler, majority owned by Italy’s Fiat SpA , said its net income would rise to about $2.2 billion in 2013.

Chrysler’s 2012 net revenue was $65.78 billion, up from $54.98 billion in 2011.

The Auburn Hills, Michigan-based company said its 2013 revenue would be between $72 billion and $75 billion.”

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“Nintendo (7974) Co., the world’s largest maker of video-game machines, said it expects a full-year operating loss as it cut estimates for sales of its Wii U consoles and 3DS handheld players.

The loss may be 20 billion yen ($220 million) for the year ending March 31, compared with a previous estimate of a 20 billion-yen profit, the Kyoto, Japan-based company said in a statement today. Nintendo cut its full-year forecast for Wii U sales to 4 million units from 5.5 million and its outlook for 3DS players to 15 million units from 17.5 million….”

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