quarterly reports

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.

The recent pushback on health care reform appears to have boosted the stock prices of health insurance companies, which have outperformed major indexes by quite a margin so far this year. That's because Americans have been cutting back on doctor visits, keeping reimbursement costs low.

With trillions of dollars sitting in corporate coffers, the spigots of capital flowing to technology are finally opening up again. Gartner Research projects 5.1% growth in information technology spending in 2011. So which companies' stocks should you buy to take advantage?

McDonald's will increase prices on some items in the U.S. this year in response to rising commodity prices that are boosting food costs, Chicago Breaking Business reported, citing remarks the company made on its earnings conference call Monday.

Toyota plans to rev up its vehicle production in the U.S., despite November's 7.3% drop in U.S. sales. The automaker has hired the first of an expected 2,000 workers for a new Mississippi Corolla plant, and says it expects to boost overall capacity utilization significantly from last year's weak levels.

The bookseller had a "disappointing" quarter with comparable store sales down nearly 6%, but a deal with competitor Barnes & Noble to sell the Nook e-reader could help end the year on a more positive note.

With just days to go before its anticipated initial public offering of stock, General Motors reported Wednesday that it earned $2 billion in the third quarter, its most profitable this year.

General Motors Financial reported Tuesday its earnings nearly doubled in the third quarter compared to last year, aided by a drop in expenses.

Why did News Corp. bury the earnings of its book publishing unit HarperCollins? Does the media giant view the publisher as merely an afterthought -- or could Rupert Murdoch be contemplating a sale?