earnings statements

For many companies, meeting or beating quarterly earnings estimates matters more than anything else. All too often, the drive to perform bleeds into a temptation to cook the books. But astute investors can see behind the numbers to glimpse the truth. Here are a few of the major red flags.

How can you tell if a CEO is lying? Stanford researchers have sifted through thousands of corporate conference-call transcripts to come up with some telltale signs that chief executives may be exaggerating their companies' prospects.

Here's news from the business world and other money matters to watch out for Monday (last updated at 8:00 a.m. Eastern time): More Americans Tapping Retirement Savings: Mutual-fund giant Fidelity Investments reports the number of Americans seeking to withdraw money from savings set aside for...

Here's news from the business world and other money matters to watch out for Friday (last updated at 7:55 a.m. Eastern time): Postal Service Posts Loss: While many companies are reporting upbeat quarterly profits this earnings season, the United States Postal Service isn't one of them. The...