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

• Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBY) Q1 earnings tumbled while revenues rose.
• Casella Waste Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CWST) posted a narrower-than-expected Q4 loss.
• CKE Restaurants Inc. (NYSE: CKR) Q1 earnings increased but its revenue slipped.
• Darden Restaurants Inc. (NYSE: DRI) swung to a Q4 profit on strong sales at Olive Garden.
• Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) said it might not see Q2 profit growth on lower demand and shipping delays.
• General Mills Inc. (NYSE: GIS) Q4 earnings declined but were in line with expectations.
• Gerber Scientific Inc. (NYSE: GRB) reported solid Q4 and full-year results that pleased investors.
• IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS) beat Q2 expectations and posted record quarterly cash flow from operations.
• Jabil Circuit Inc. (NYSE: JBL) stronger-than-expected Q3 results led to an analyst's upgrade.
• KB Home (NYSE: KBH) widened its Q2 loss due to weak sales and falling prices.
• Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) beat Q1 expectations as consumers sought discounts on food and gas.
• Monsanto Co. (NYSE: MON) beat Q3 earnings estimates but fell short of revenue estimates.
• Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) posted better-than-expected Q4 results boosted by international strength.
• Oracle Corp. (NASDAQ: ORCL) posted strong Q4 results that topped analysts' expectations (see transcript).

• Palm Inc. (NASDAQ: PALM) posted dismal results as revenue fell despite higher sales volume.
• Red Hat Inc. (NYSE: RHT) Q1 revenues soared as results beat Wall Street expectations.
• Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) posted disappointing results and lackluster guidance (transcript).
• Rite-Aid Corp. (NYSE: RAD) swung ot a larger-than-expected Q1 loss on integration difficulties.
• Sonic Corp. (NASDAQ: SONC) earnings warning took shares to a new 52-week low.
• Symmetry Medical Inc. (NYSE: SMA) beat Q1 estimates on increased demand and acquisitions.
• United Parcel Serivce (NYSE: UPS) cut its earnings forecast due to rising fuel prices and less demand.
• Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG) posted sluggish Q3 results despite cost-cutting measures.

Also, do the results from Oracle, Research in Motion, and Red Hat point to a bottom for tech stocks? Will Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) new CFO be more likely to provide the guidance that analysts crave?

Upcoming results to watch for include H&R Block (NYSE: HRB), Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ), Apollo Group (NASDAQ: APOL), Family Dollar (NYSE: FDO), WD-40 (NASDAQ: WDFC), and Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

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This post is part of my series featuring established companies and the smaller, more aggressive or innovative rivals that may eventually succeed them.

"From sea to shining sea" aptly describes the distance between Nike (NYSE: NKE) and Under Armour (NYSE: UA). Nike is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, while Under Armour calls Baltimore, Maryland, home. Nike splashed onto the scene locally in Oregon in 1964 and has developed a true international brand. With the likes of Michael Jordan, Joan Benoit Samuelson and Tiger Woods serving as spokesmen for the company, Nike has transcended virtually every sport and every demographic group.

Under Armour, founded in 1995, at first appealed to the serious athlete with its moisture-wicking synthetic fibers that help keep sweat and moisture from the skin and help regulate body temperature during strenuous exercise. Under Armour then discovered it was unwittingly creating a fashion statement. Like Nike, Under Armour is also crossing over to various demographic groups and weekend warriors as well.

Nike has the famous Swish as its corporate logo, while Under Armour has branded the bold U over A insignia. Nike has established its brand globally with a dual strategy of major retailers selling its apparel and shoes and its own distribution system. Nike has over 250 NikeTown stores in the United States and over 230 internationally. With the retail store system Nike can control the entire purchase from apparel to shoes to socks to sweatbands. Under Armour has just begun its own retail stores with two prototypes, one in Maryland and one in Illinois. It sells its various products through multiple channels, including its own user-friendly e-commerce web site.

Nike will hit about $20 billion of revenues this year while Under Armour should approach $765 million. Nike has a market capitalization of $32.8 billion, which dwarfs Under Armour's $1.4 billion market cap. The opportunity for Under Armour is a faster, more sustainable growth rate of 20%+ for the next 3-5 years, as Nike should hold a steady 10% growth rate.

Under Armour has a global opportunity in front of it. Currently Under Armour sells in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Nike has enjoyed a 31-year head start on Under Armour, but the world is ready for this emerging, strong second player.

Georges Yared is editor of GameOn Investing, a free service devoted to helping investors spot game-changing stocks before they breakout.

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According to Trey Thoelcke's coverage on earnings reports, Nike (NYSE: NKE), a competitor of Adidas (OTC: ADDDY), beat Wall Street expectations for its Q4 results. Analysts thought that Nike might be good for earnings of $0.96 per share, but the footwear entity booked $0.98 per share, beating estimates by two cents (thankfully, it wasn't the proverbial penny, which definitely gets boring after awhile). Investors didn't seem to be too keen on the results, as the stock sold off in after-hours trading on Wednesday, dropping almost 5%.

Let's take a closer look at the results. For the fourth quarter, the top line increased by 16% - not a bad revenue jump. And that $0.98 earnings per-share figure represented an increase of 14%. The fiscal year actually looked pretty good, too. Revenues increased 14%, and net income expanded by 28% to $3.74 per share. Gross margin expanded, and worldwide futures orders were up 11%. I like all these double-digit numbers, and I like the fact that the company paid out more in dividends this year than last, and I can see that Nike is taking advantage of the weak dollar through its international exposure.

Nike's stock has performed well, over the last five years, but lately it's not been as strong. Investors would certainly be justified in having a cautious stance with a company like Nike considering the current economic climate. Sneakers obviously might not be worth a lot of discretionary income in a time of high energy costs and slow growth. But with numbers like these, I have to say that Nike knows how to leverage its brand equity to full effect. This was a great yearly report, and if the stock pulled back a little further, I would definitely consider it.

Disclosure: I don't own any company mentioned here; positions can change at any time.

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Here's a quick recap of some additional earnings reports on Wednesday.

Beaverton, Ore.-based Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) said strong growth overseas helped boost its fourth-quarter profit by 12% to $490.5 million, or 98 cents per share. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected the company to earn 96 cents per share for the quarter. Shares fell more than 5% in after-hours trading to $62.15.

CKE Restaurants Inc. (NYSE: CKR) said its first-quarter profit climbed 8% to $16.6 million, or 31 cents per share, helped by a small increase in same-store sales at Carl's Jr. restaurants. Revenue fell 3% to $466.2 million. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected profit of 27 cents per share on revenue of $465.5 million. Shares fell 5 cents to $12.25 in after-hours trading.

Red Hat Inc. (NYSE: RHT) said its fiscal first-quarter profit rose 6.6% to $17.3 million, or 8 cents per share. Adjusted earnings were 18 cents per share. Revenue rose 32% to $156.6 million. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial on average predicted a profit of 18 cents per share on revenue of $153 million. Shares fell 19 cents in after-hours trading to $22.11.

General Mills Inc. (NYSE: GIS) said its fourth-quarter profit dropped 17% to $185.2 million, or 53 cents per share. Adjusted earnings were 73 cents per share, which met Wall Street expectations. Sales increased 13% to $3.47 billion beating expectations. The company reaffirmed its guidance for the full year. Shares fell almost 2% to $61.19.

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBY) said its fiscal first-quarter profit tumbled 27% to $76.8 million, or 30 cents per share, as costs outweighed sales growth. Sales rose 6.1 percent to $1.65 billion, Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial had expected a profit of 27 cents per share on $1.62 billion in revenue. Shares rose 8.5% in after-hours trading to $31.00.

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

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• Jabil Circuit (NYSE: JBL) shares are up nearly 11% in premarket trading after the company reported its profit soared as revenue grew and costs declined, topping third-quarter earnings estimates. Merrill Lynch upgraded Jabil from Neutral to Buy.
  
• Red Lobster operator Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI) shares are up 1.9% in premarket trading after it also topped quarterly earnings estimates, postinga higher quarterly profit, boosted by the Olive Garden chain, and lower costs that helped raise operating profit at its Red Lobster chain.
• 3COM (NASDAQ: COMS) shares also rose over 6% in after-hours trading after it posted higher than expected revenue.

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It is going to be an interesting week. The Fed and oil will be at odds, and tempers are sure to flare on the trading floors. There are many earnings and eco reports we are looking at, and it is hard to choose which will be front and center. Traders and investors will be closely following every move by the Fed as they will be releasing a policy statement at 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday.

Also, stocks within the homebuilders group will be front and center as a few key players will share their earnings results. Have you seen the charts of these companies lately? Click for a good comparison. And after you take a peek, you may also wonder if they are actually stock charts or ski slopes. So with that as the backdrop, here are a few names that may actually be undercovered and worth a look.

Tuesday, June 24

Anything related to the automobile industry has been under siege of late, and I can't imagine how that will change anytime soon. HB Fuller Co. (NYSE: FUL) is involved in the manufacturing of the industrial performance/adhesive products for the assembly/packaging and automobile markets. The fact that the economy is lagging would lead one to the realization that, unless we see a quick turnaround of epic proportions, the reality of a lower share price will come with the next earnings release. Several down days of late have also had increasing volume, and that is not a good sign for a stock that is beginning to show signs of breaking down. Even so, First Call is showing a $0.45 per share quarterly estimate on $347 million of revenue.

Wednesday, June 25

Looking like a "dead cat bounce," the chart pattern of Jabil Circuit (NYSE: JBL) has seen a huge amount of retracement since the beginning of June as estimates have been rising and investors are looking to get in as it recently broke its 50-day moving average. Now shares have just touched the longer 200-day moving average, and analyst expectations of $0.20 per share on $3 billion of revenue will verify whether the early birds will get their worms.

Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) is a name will get some good attention, and merits a look if stability is something you are after. Earnings have been consistent and the chart is looking splendid. Shareholders seem to be holding the price stable, even with the horrible economic circumstances that seemed to be upon us. Look at a long-term chart and you will see that Nike shares have been on the rise since September of 2006. Overall, the fundamentals are strong and the chart looks solid. Unless there is a major surprise with the earnings, expected to come in at $0.96 per share, the trend is likely to continue.

Thursday, June 26

Then there is Finish Line (NASDAQ: FINL), a retailer that has 700 stores under the Finish Line logo and another 150 retail stores within the shoe and men's apparel sector. If you have a moment, check out this chart, as it is really amazing. Investors will have to take a moment of thought before entering into this position, with such a significant run down and run up. Unless you are seeing something that I don't see, I don't have any answers to why there has been this level of volatility. Analysts are expecting a loss of $0.05 a share this quarter.

Disclosure: Horowitz & Company clients do not hold positions of any of the stocks mentioned as of the date of publish. Andrew Horowitz is a Money manager and author of the bestseller The Disciplined Investor: Essential Strategies for Success.

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• Walgreens (NYSE: WAG) to report Q3 earnings; conference call at 8:30am.

• FOMC to hold two-day meeting.
• Jabil Circuits (NYSE: JBL) to report Q3 earnings; conference call at 4:30pm.
• 3Com (NASDAQ: COMS) to report Q4 earnings; conference call at 5:00pm.

• Second day of two-day FOMC meeting; announcement at 2:15pm.
• Thornburg Mortgage (NYSE: TMA) to discuss valuation and accounting for recent financing transaction at 10:00am.
• Nike (NYSE: NKE) to report Q4 earnings; conference call at 5:00pm.
  
• Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) to report Q4 earnings; conference call at 5:00pm.
• Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) to report Q1 earnings; conference call at 5:00pm.

• PDUFA date for Eli Lilly & Co's (NYSE: LLY) and Daiichi Sankyo's new drug application for Prasugrel.
• Palm Inc (NASDAQ: PALM) to report Q4 earnings; conference call at 4:30pm.
• Micron Technology (NYSE: MU) to report Q3 earnings; conference call at 4:30pm.

• PDUFA date for Indevus Pharmaceuticals' (NASDAQ: IDEV) New Drug Application for Nebido for treatment of male hypogonadism.
• PDUFA date for Johnson & Johnson's (NYSE: JNJ) and Eisai Co's (OTC: ESALY) Aciphex.
  

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After a U.S. Open victory that was perhaps the most thrilling of his entire career, Tiger Woods will miss the rest of the season to undergo surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left knee.

Obviously this is bad news for his main sponsor, Nike (NYSE: NKE). They pay him handsomely to hit their clubs and wear their hat (although his bag bears the logo for Buick), and watching a close-up of his 18th hole birdie was priceless marketing: as the ball rolled, the Nike swoosh was in plain view.

And in a larger sense, this is bad news for anyone who's marketing on the PGA Tour. It's a well-known fact that golf's ratings plummet for any event Tiger isn't playing in. I mean, who really cares about Justin Leonard and Geoff Ogilvy? There's Tiger and then there's everyone else. Wake me when it's over -- maybe I'll go watch some arena football.

Without Tiger, all the other companies with players on the PGA Tour -- TaylorMade, Callaway (NYSE: ELY), Ping, etc. -- will get less exposure for their marketing money. And then there's KPMG, which pays Phil Mickelson to wear its hat. But then again, if a company you own shares in chooses its auditor based on Phil's hat, you have a lot more to worry about than Tiger's left knee.

But maybe there's a bright side here for the golf industry: perhaps a less exciting PGA Tour will inspire duffers to go out to the links and play some actual golf.

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This post is part of our Battle of the Brands feature. Let us know which brand you prefer, and check out other Battle of the Brands posts.

The story of Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) and Under Armour (NYSE: UA) is just one more David and Goliath scenario. Just like in the biblical story, David's battle (UA) was more one of survival against the odds, while Goliath (NKE) truly did want to vanquish the diminutive challenger. Under Armour is capitalized at $1.28 billion while the long-established and legendary Nike has a capitalization more than 20 times the size at $26.38 billion.

NIKE, the world's #1 shoemaker, does more dominating than assisting, to capture more than 20% of the U.S. athletic shoe market. It designs and sells shoes for a variety of sports, including baseball, cheer-leading, golf, volleyball, hiking, tennis, and football. Under Armour is proving its mettle as an apparel warrior. Since its foray into the sporting goods market, the maker of performance athletic undies and apparel has risen to the top of the industry pack, boasting a big portion of the compression garment market.

In addition to playing a dominant role in the shoe market, Nike has retail and wholesale outlets that sell a broad range of branded sports gear, including clothes, watches, balls, hats, and an expanding array of accessories. Under Armour is expanding as well, trying to get a foot-hold (could not resist) in the shoe market starting with a series of cross-trainers. They hope to capture perhaps 10% of the market as they promote their up-and-coming brand.

There are so many manufacturers in the market, or arena if you prefer, that Under Armour can grow for quite some time before posing a threat to Nike; although to be sure, Nike will not be underestimating its smaller rival and is expanding into UA's niche as well. Both companies spend significantly on advertising and promotion and seek to tie their products to major sports figures.

UA has traded from a 52-week low of $25.52 to a high of $73.40, most recently trading in the mid 30s with an optimistic P/E ratio over 41 and, like most small start-up, pays no dividend. However, this company has plenty of room to run and has successfully produced a ROE and ROIC of over 20%, which is better than most companies that are not pedaling something exotic.

Nike, the larger and more conservative investment for those so inclined, has traded in a tighter range this past year from $51.50 to $70.60 and currently is testing the top end in the high 60s per share. Nike is producing similar ROE and ROIC of 25% and 20% respectively. It also is paying a dividend of 1.35%, which is a nice bonus. It too has a P/E higher than average of 19, but given that it is still expanding and is trading near a high perhaps this is to be expected.

I like both companies from an investment perspective in terms of adding to my watch list, but I would be more inclined to watch Under Armour than Nike just because it has so much more room to grow. I also think that at its current capitalization it could be acquired by any number of bigger companies.

Sheldon Liber is the CEO of a small private investment company and the principal for design and research at an architecture & planning firm. He writes the columns Chasing Value and Serious Money. Disclosure: I do not own shares of NKE or UA.

Vote in our poll for Nike or Under Armour as your preferred brand, and let us know in the comments why you love it.

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• Beware of one-product retail fads. In order for Crocs to justify its inflated multiple, it needed to succeed in other products. The bulls thought it would, with Georges Yared writing that Crocs was the next Nike (NYSE: NKE). I disagreed with the notion that Crocs was a strong brand -- clog-like sandal shoes might be big sellers but I didn't think they would ever be cool in a way that would allow the Crocs brand to sell other products. So far, Crocs has not been successful in its efforts at diversification.
• Beware of massive insider dumping. Of course you should expect insiders to sell some of their holdings to cash in on their newfound wealth -- you can believe in the long-term future of your company and want a house made of solid gold too. But Crocs insiders took that to a whole other level.
• Analysts were extremely jubilant about Crocs' growth prospects, forecasting high double-digit growth for years to come. But there was one problem: they had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. Crocs was basically a one-product company in the incredibly fickle fashion market, and growth projections should have been taken with a sandal full of salt. The growth projections struck me as being speculative and irresponsible at the time and, in a press release issued last night, Crocs projected an increase in domestic sales of 13% -- not bad, but not the stuff of the next Nike.
• Finally, Costco happily announced that it had a big selection of Crocs available at discount prices and Crocs responded by saying that Costco (NASDAQ: COST) wasn't an authorized distributor and they would find out who was dumping stuff there etc. etc. etc. But that explanation didn't really hold water and, I believe, is indicative of potential inventory problems at the company.

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Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) is a leading designer, marketer and distributor of athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned subsidiaries include Converse (athletic footwear, apparel, accessories), Cole Haan Holdings (luxury shoes, handbags, accessories, coats), Umbro (UK soccer brand) and Hurley International (action sports footwear, apparel, accessories). The firm is the world's #1 shoemaker. Its products are sold throughout the US and in more than 180 other countries.

The company pleased investors last month, when it reported fiscal Q3 EPS of 92 cents and revenues of $4.5 billion. Analysts had been expecting 81 cents and $4.3 billion. Revenue grew 20 percent or more in overseas markets, with particular strength in Asia and Europe. Company officials said Nike had already hit its goal of more than $1 billion in annual sales in China. McAdams, Wright, Ragen and UBS subsequently reiterated "buy" ratings on the stock.

Shares popped on the news and have since consolidated the gain in a bullish "flag" pattern. Prices frequently exit flags moving in the same direction they were traveling on entry. NKE appears to be making its move today.

Altogether, brokers recommend the issue with three "strong buys", nine "buys", three "holds" and one "underperform". The NKE P/E ratio (18.22), PEG ratio (1.36), Sales Growth rate (15.38%), EPS Growth rate (33.33%), Return on Assets (16.64%), Return on Investment (21.85%) and Return on Equity (25.32%) compare favorably with industry, sector and S&P 500 averages. Institutions hold about 72% of the outstanding shares. The stock is one of those used to calculate the S&P 500 Index. Over the past 52 weeks, it has traded between $51.50 and $70.60. A stop-loss of $59.75 looks good here.

Larry Schutts is a contributing editor for Theflyonthewall.com and the Vice-President of Stockwinners.com. He does not hold a position in the stock discussed above.

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

• Adobe Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) first-quarter profit soared and it offered an encouraging outlook.
• AgFeed Industries Inc. (NASDAQ: FEED) full-year results were in line with expectations.
• Credit Suisse Group (NYSE: CS) warned that it expects a first-quarter loss due to write-downs.
• Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) first-quarter profit plunged on the unloading of Goldfish
• FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) posted lower-that-expected third-quarter earnings on rising fuel prices.
• 4Kids Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: KDE) posted dismal fourth-quarter and full-year results.
• GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME) posted strong fourth-quarter earnings on Guitar Hero and other games.
• General Mills Inc. (NYSE: GIS) third-quarter profit surged on increased demand for Cheerios, yogurt, etc.
• Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) posted better-than-expected first-quarter earnings.
• Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (NYSE: LEH) posted better-than-expected first-quarter earnings.
• Lumber Liquidators Inc. (NYSE: LL) beat estimates on infrastructure investments and merchandise variety.
• Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) posted better-than-expected first-quarter earnings.
• Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) third-quarter profits soared on strong international demand.
• Shuffle Master Inc. (NASDAQ: SHFL) missed expectations for the first quarter.
• Siemens AG (NYSE: SI) lowered its earnings outlook on delays and order cancellations.

Also, Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) is recession proof? Ted Allrich wonders if there are any safe stocks. Jim Cramer doesn't expect much from tech stocks. And Aaron Katzman looks at the effect of rising grain prices.

Upcoming results to watch for include Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG), Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF), Oracle Corp. (NASDAQ: ORCL), ConAgra (NYSE: CAG), and KB Home (NYSE: KBH).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

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