Luxury spending has rebounded since 2009, but Nordstrom is grappling with new demands from shoppers armed with smartphones and tablets. That's pushing the department store, considered the gold standard in customer service, to redefine the term for a new era.
MasterCard's net income rebounded strongly in the fourth quarter as its overseas business continued to expand, the company said Thursday. The results benefited by comparison to the year-earlier quarter, which was weighed down by a massive legal charge.
Northrop Grumman depends on government contracts for more than 90% of revenue, making talk of cutting the budget deficit a prickly subject. Here's how the defense contractor plans to stay in the game and how it will affect earnings.
Grocery chain Supervalu reported a net income of 31 cents per share this morning for the last quarter, which ended May 10, a 40% decline year-over-year. An after-tax charge of 12 cents per share that brought the figure down, but the quarter was still a disappointment.
U.S. automaker Ford drove to a $2.6 billion profit in the second quarter, zooming past analyst expectations. Looking forward, CEO Alan Mulally said that he expects "even better financial results in 2011."
Ford Motor is set to deliver strong earnings when it reports second-quarter results Friday. After disastrously low sales in 2009, the auto industry as a whole has been in recovery mode this year -- and Ford has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the revival.