profits

Zillow's stock more than tripled after its IPO Wednesday, then fell back to settle up a mere 79% at the close. Initial public offerings have become a way to make huge profits in the market, if investors have the stomach for extreme risk -- and the access to buy in.

Legendary investor Peter Lynch espoused the philosophy "Buy what you know." Well, who doesn't know restaurants? We know where the crowds are, and we know what we like to eat. Here are five chains that managed to grow during the market lull, positioning themselves perfectly for the future.

Starbucks is hiking the price of its packaged coffee by 17% to compensate for a steep increase in Arabica coffee prices. Customers habituated to Starbucks coffee might keep splurging on its products, but some analysts believe the passing on of its costs will affect Starbucks' top line.

When is a 27% increase in sales, and a doubling of profits, bad news? It certainly sounds like an exceptional circumstance, but that's where Alcoa finds itself today, having missed earnings estimates and facing a discouraging free cash flow.

Wall Street will watch second quarter earnings for telltale signs that the economy has slowed or that corporate margins are even tighter than is feared. But the ones reporting negative outlooks are likely to go back to the same old solution they used so often in recent years: layoffs.

Earnings season unofficially kicks off today, but 26 companies have already reported for the second quarter of this year. According to institutional data provider Capital IQ, here are some of the highlights so far:

Earnings season is near, and investors, as always are worried. Don't fret too much, though: Odds are that your company will come out on top on the bottom line -- because most do. But what will separate the winners from the whiners for the coming quarter? Here are the three key factors.

Symantec is the global leader in the security software market, but its share of that market has been declining. Can its Norton Everywhere initiative leverage the companies strength in the PC world into the domain of smartphones and tablets?

Apple buys many components for its devices from Chinese suppliers. Now, it's getting more aggressive about selling those devices in the world's largest cell phone market, inking a deal to sell iPhones through No. 1 wireless operator China Mobile, which could substantially boost Apple's earnings.

Gap (GPS) might be undergoing an extreme makeover, but the chain is no longer the key growth engine, CEO Glenn Murphy told investors Wednesday. Learn why the apparel giant is shifting its emphasis to its outlet businesses, newer divisions such as Piperlime and Athleta, and overseas growth.