UPDATE 1-Libbey swings to Q2 profit, shares rise

(Reuters) - Sales for the latest quarter rose 31 percent to $207.1
million, beating one analysts' estimate of $203.8 million.




The Toledo, Ohio-based company's sales grew as it witnessed
a significant increase in its North American glass sales and
international sales.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

Sales of Higher-Risk Mortgage Bonds Will Fall in Second Half, Lehman Says

(Bloomberg) -- Sales of new bonds backed by higher-
risk, higher-rate mortgages will slow further in the second half
of this year, according to Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.

Issuance of bonds backed by subprime mortgages will drop 66
percent from the same period in 2006 to $75 billion, reflecting
a 57 percent drop from the first half of this year, analysts at
Lehman wrote in a report today. Alt A mortgage bond sales will
tumble 48 percent from last year's second half, the report said.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

Moog posts higher quarterly earnings

(Reuters) - Sales in the latest quarter, rose 21 percent to $403.8
million. Analysts on average expected $370.6 million.





Read more at Reuters.com Market News

UPDDATE 1-U.S. new home sales fell 6.6 percent in June

(Reuters) - WASHINGTON, July 26 - Sales of new U.S. homes
fell 6.6 percent in June to a lower-than-expected level and
prices slumped from May, according to a government report on
Thursday that pointed to ongoing weakness in the housing
sector.




New single-family home sales fell to an annual rate of
834,000 from a revised rate of 893,000 in May, the Commerce
Department said.


Read more at Reuters.com Economic News

Santos Second-Quarter Sales Decline on Higher Currency, Delayed Shipments

(Bloomberg) -- Santos Ltd., Australia's third-
biggest oil and gas producer, said second-quarter revenue fell
8.3 percent as the rising Australian dollar reduced the value of
exports and some shipments fell outside the period.

Sales fell to A$633.8 million ($562 million) in the three
months ended June 30, from A$691.5 million a year earlier, the
Adelaide-based company said in a statement to the Australian
Stock Exchange. Production rose 4.7 percent to the equivalent of
15.6 million barrels of oil, a record for the second quarter, and
sales volumes fell 4.9 percent to 15.4 million barrels.


Read more at Bloomberg Energy News

Hyundai Motor May Say Net Income Rose on Higher South Korean Auto Demand

(Bloomberg) -- Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's
third-largest exporter, will probably report the first increase
in profit in six quarters after selling more cars at home.

Net income at the Seoul-based automaker probably rose 30
percent to 502 billion won ($549 million) in the three months
ended June 30 from 387.3 billion won a year earlier, according
to the median estimate of 11 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.
Sales probably gained 11 percent to 7.77 trillion won.


Read more at Bloomberg Emerging Markets News

Cardtronics, Union Pacific Sell Bonds as U.S. Debt Sales Slump 81 Percent

(Bloomberg) -- Cardtronics Inc., the largest
operator of automated-teller machines in the U.S., and railroad
Union Pacific Corp. led borrowers selling $2.8 billion of notes
this week, the second-slowest this year, as issuance fell 81
percent from a year ago.

Sales compare with a weekly average of $24.7 billion,
according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Houston-based Cardtronics
raised $100 million after cutting the offering from $125 million,
becoming the first U.S. borrower this month to issue high-yield
debt. Union Pacific, the largest U.S. railroad, sold $479 million
of pass-through certificates after reporting profit that beat
analysts' expectations.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

Whirlpool posts higher quarterly profit

(Reuters) - Pathmark, which operates stores in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, posted a profit of $1.7 million, or 3 cents per share, compared with a loss of $14.6 million, or 28 cents per share, a year earlier. Sales stood at $1,078.5 million, compared with $993.3 million a year ago.



Analysts, on average, expected the Carteret, New Jersey-based grocer to post a loss of 3 cents per share, before special items, according to Reuters Estimates.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

Microsoft Q4 profit rises

(Reuters) - The company said on Thursday net profit was $3.04 billion, or 31 cents per diluted share, in its fiscal fourth quarter, up from $2.83 billion, or 28 cents per diluted share, in the year-earlier quarter. Sales rose 13 percent to $13.4 billion.




The earnings met analysts' expectations for profit of 31 cents per share while sales were slightly better than the forecast of $13.27 billion, according to Reuters Estimates.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

LG Electronics Reports Highest Profit in Three Years on Prada Phone Sales

(Bloomberg) -- LG Electronics Inc., Asia's second-
largest maker of mobile phones, reported its highest profit in
three years, driven by sales of its Shine and Prada handsets.

Second-quarter net income was 384.6 billion won ($420
million), compared with a loss of 9.7 billion won a year earlier,
Seoul-based LG said in a regulatory filing today. Sales rose 1.8
percent to 5.9 trillion won.


Read more at Bloomberg Emerging Markets News

VW says H1 China/HK vehicles sales up 24.6 pct

(Reuters) - The maker of Volkswagen and Audi brand cars moved a record
431,369 vehicles during the period, compared with 346,263
vehicles a year ago, the company said in a statement.




Sales of Volkswagen brand vehicles increased 23.7 percent to
379,705 units in the half-year, including imported models, while
sales of the Audi brand rose 26.9 percent to 49,267 units, it
said.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

Apple IPhone, Must-Have for Technophiles, May Be Tougher Sell for Parents

(Bloomberg) -- Yahoo! Inc. Chief Executive Officer
Jerry Yang wants an iPhone. Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff
plans to trade in his Motorola Inc. Razr for one. Chuck Jones
not only doesn't want one, he also isn't about to spend $1,000
or more to get iPhones for his two daughters.

While technophiles clamor for Apple Inc.'s combination
mobile phone and music player, some regular consumers like Jones
are less enthusiastic. The iPhone is pricier than rivals, lacks
the keyboard used by text messagers and works only on an AT&T
Inc. network. Parents also may balk at the $200 penalty to
switch wireless carriers, no matter how much their kids beg.


Read more at Bloomberg Exclusive News

Apple's IPhone, Must-Have for Technopiles, May Be Tougher Sell for Parents

(Bloomberg) -- Yahoo! Inc. Chief Executive Officer
Jerry Yang wants an iPhone. Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff
plans to trade in his Motorola Inc. Razr for one. Chuck Jones
not only doesn't want one, he also isn't about to spend $1,000
or more to get iPhones for his two daughters.

While technophiles clamor for Apple Inc.'s combination
mobile phone and music player, some regular consumers like Jones
are less enthusiastic. The iPhone is pricier than rivals, lacks
the keyboard used by text messagers and works only on an AT&T
Inc. network. Parents also may balk at the $200 penalty to
switch wireless carriers, no matter how much their kids beg.


Read more at Bloomberg Exclusive News

UPDATE 1-U.S. new home sales fell 1.6 percent in May

(Reuters) - WASHINGTON, June 26 - Sales of new U.S. homes
fell 1.6 percent in May to a lower-than-expected level while
prices climbed from April, according to a government report on
Tuesday that continued to point to weakness in the housing
sector.




New single-family home sales fell to an annual rate of
915,000 from a downwardly revised rate of 930,000 in April, the
Commerce Department said.


Read more at Reuters.com Economic News

U.S. New-Home Sales Decreased 1.6 Percent to a 915,000 Annual Pace in May

(Bloomberg) -- Purchases of new homes in the U.S.
dropped in May, signaling demand is still faltering in the
second year of the housing slowdown.

Sales fell 1.6 percent to an annual pace of 915,000 last
month from a revised 930,000 rate the prior month that was lower
than previously estimated, the Commerce Department said today in
Washington. The supply of unsold homes at the current sales pace
rose.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

Pier 1 Imports quarterly loss widens

(Reuters) - The first-quarter net loss widened to $56.4 million, or 64 cents a share, from $23.2 million, or 27 cents a year ago. In the latest quarter Pier 1 took a $3.5 million charge.



Sales fell to $356.4 million from $376.1 million in the year-ago quarter.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

Chrysler to increase international dealerships

(Reuters) - Sales outside North America currently account for about 8 percent of the company's total sales. The automaker is looking to grow overseas as it struggles with U.S. sales amid high gasoline prices, a weak housing market and tough competition from Asian rivals.




Its U.S. sales fell 2.2 percent through May this year.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

UMC says May sales fall 3.3 pct from year ago

(Reuters) - Sales at United Microelectronics Corp. last month, down from T$8.504 billion a year ago, the company said on its Web site on Friday.



UMC's sales were T$8.131 billion in April this year.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

Fiat, BT Group, Popolare Verona Plan to Sell Debt: European Bond Alert

(Bloomberg) -- The following is a list of bond sales
denominated in euros or pounds and expected in the coming days
and weeks.

Investment-Grade Sales


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

WRAPUP 2-U.S. April new home sales jump, prices fall

(Reuters) - WASHINGTON, May 24 - Sales of new U.S. homes rose
16.2 percent in April, the sharpest climb in 14 years as
builders slashed prices a record 11 percent, a government
report showed on Thursday, signalling stabilization in the
housing sector.




Other reports also reflected economic strength, indicating
the Federal Reserve would likely hold interest rates steady for
the foreseeable future.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News