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

• Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) Q1 earnings were cut almost in half and were lower than expected.
• AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) earnings expectations for 2010 resulted in an analyst's upgrade.
• BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: BMRN) was downgraded following its Q4 earnings report.
• CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS) beat Q4 earnings expectations but slashed its quarterly dividend.
• Crocs Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX) posted a smaller-than-expected Q4 loss but sales and gross margins fell.
• Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) Q1 earnings and revenue fell and it offered guidance below estimates.
• Deutsche Telekom (NYSE: DT) was upgraded on confidence ahead of the company's earnings report.
• Hewlett-Packard Corp. (NYSE: HPQ) reported a bigger-than-expected drop in Q1 earnings.

Crocs (NASDAQ: CROX) reported earnings for the fourth quarter after the market close on Thursday. The shares were up almost 10% on the news during the after-hours trading session since the footwear company beat expectations by a wide margin. But let me tell you something: I cannot imagine any sane investor wanting to risk his hard-earned capital on this stock. The numbers are just too dismal.

Wall Street was bracing for a loss of $0.56 per share in the fourth quarter. Well, Crocs did much better than that. It lost only $0.40 per share. Great, right? Yeah. Let's look at the top line: it declined by 43%. Does that put the earnings beat in perspective? I sure hope it does. How about the fact that gross margin went down to 44% compared to 56% in the year-ago period -- does that also lend some context?

List of Potential Victims in $50 Billion Ponzi Scheme Grows
Investors who put their fortunes in the hands of arrested New York money manager Bernard Madoff are waiting to hear how much of their stake is left. The roster of potential victims has grown exponentially longer in the past few days. Among those who have acknowledged potential losses so far: Magnate Mort Zuckerman, the foundation of Holocaust survivor Elie Weisel, Sen. Frank Lautenberg and a charity of movie director Steven Spielberg. Also, former Philadelphia Eagles owner Norman Braman, New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon and J. Ezra Merkin, the chairman of GMAC Financial Services, the Palm Beach Country Club, charities, hedge funds and more.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/markets/2008-12-13-wall-street-arrest_N.htm
Also: Losses in Madoff Case Spread
Also: The 17th Floor, Where Wealth Went to Vanish

Worst Investments of 2008: Crocs, Yellow Pages, Banks and More
The year will go down as one of the worst ever for investors, but which investments were worst? If you were an investor in R.H. Donnelley which publishes Yellow Pages phone directories you have seen a 99% drop in your investment. And if you were an investor in Crocs shoes you saw your investments shrink by 95% this year. Others that had a very rough year included the investment banks, automakers, newspaper companies, Office Depot, Sprint Nextel and the list goes on and on.
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/12/1215_worst_investment/1.htm

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

• Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) reported lower quarterly profits and cut its full-year outlook.
• Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) beat Q4 earnings expectations but revenues tumbled.
• Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) reported a big loss in Q3, like many other private equity firms.
• Crocs Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX) posted a deeper-than-estimated Q3 net loss due to restructuring costs.
• Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NYSE: CY) warned that it expects to swing to a net loss in Q4.
• Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) fell to a three-year-low despite expected growth in profits and revenues.
• Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) lowered its revenue forecast for Q4, which was bad news for PC makers.
• Kohl's Corp. (NYSE: KSS) beat low earnings expectations by a penny as same-store sales declined.
• Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (NYSE: LGF) narrowed its net loss in Q2 but fell short of estimates.
• Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN) said its Q3 profit tumbled as its same-store-sales declined.
• Orbitz Wordlwide Inc. (NYSE: OWW) reported a wider net loss, which led to a analyst's downgrade.
• Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG) raised its forecasts after finalizing the sale of Folgers brand.
• Sirius XM Radio Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) halved its Q3 net loss and revenues and subscriber numbers rose.
• TJX Companies Inc. (NYSE: TJX) reported a Q3 earnings decline and offered a cautious outlook.
• Tyco International Ltd. (NYSE: TYC) posted better-than-expected profits but warned of softness ahead.
• Walmart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) beat analyst estimates for Q3 and warned of a profit squeeze.

Update Nov. 26, 2008: See all 2008 Black Friday deals.

Hip retailer Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) is expected to post earnings 22.9% higher than a year ago, to $0.35 per share, on revenue of $475.9 million (+26.4%). The Philadelphia-based company already said that same-store sales in the quarter were 10% higher. Urban Outfitters has beat expectations in recent quarters, by 11.5% in the previous quarter, and analysts on average recommend buying URBN. Shares fell to a 52-week low of $16.61 per share on Friday, and are down 29.5% from a year ago. Other companies expected to report more modest earnings growth in the coming week include watch and accessory maker Fossil Inc. (NASDAQ: FOSL), retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT), and TJX Companies Inc. (NYSE: TJX), parent of such discount retail chains as T.J. Maxx and Marshalls. These three companies have tended to top analysts estimates in recent quarters, and Fossil and TJX ended the week near their 52-week lows.

While Los Angeles-based American Apparel Inc. (AMEX: APP) had a strong second quarter, the casual wear maker is expected to report $0.13 per share earnings for the third quarter, the same as in the year-ago period. And analysts anticipate that Kohl's Corp. (NYSE: KSS) will report that profits fell 16.4% to $0.51 per share on revenue of $3.9 billion (+1.9%). Though same-store sales for October fell 9%, the Menomonee Falls, Wis.-based company reaffirmed its third-quarter forecast. Kohl's has offered positive surprises in recent quarters, topping estimates by 5.6% in the previous quarter. The consensus recommendation remains to buy KSS. Shares have been climbing after reaching a 52-week low in late October, but are still down 32.8% from a year ago.

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

• Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) net income nearly doubled, topping Wall Street estimates.
• American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP) Q2 earnings fell well short of analysts estimates on credit crisis.
• Amphenol Corp. (NYSE: APH) beat Q2 expectations and offered Q3 and full-year guidance.
• A.O. Smith Corp. (NYSE: AOS) beat Q2 earnings estimates and boosted its full-year guidance.
• Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) beat Q3 estimates but offered lower-than-expected guidance.
• Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) Q2 earnings tumbled but still beat Wall Street expectations.
• Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) Q2 results missed estimates but it reaffirmed its full-year guidance.
• Broadcom Corp. (NASDAQ: BRCM) crushed expectations but offered muted guidance.
• Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) posted better-than-expected Q2 earnings and offered guidance.
• Ceragon Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ: CRNT) reported strong earnings on increased global demand.
• Charles Schwab Corp. (NASDAQ: SCHW) topped Q2 estimates on rises in new accounts and assets.
• CME Group Inc. (NYSE: CME) better-than-expected Q2 results lifted the share price from a 52-week low.
• Crocs Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX) revised its Q2 and full-year guidance downward on market conditions.
• EI DuPont de Nemours & Co. (NYSE: DD) Q2 results beat expectations due to strength in agriculture.
• Ericsson LM TEL Co. (NASDAQ: ERIC) Q2 profits tumbled due to costs of R&D and acquistions.
• E*Trade Corp. (NASDAQ: ETFC) had a bigger-than-expected Q2 loss on Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM) losses.
• Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) posted a record quarterly loss, mostly one-time charges.