COMPANIES

Diesel engine maker Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) reported a higher first-quarter profit on Friday, citing stronger sales of industrial power equipment. The firm also boosted its full year earnings forecast, sending shares up more than 11 percent.

Shares supplemental health insurance provider Aflac Inc. (NYSE: AFL) as the company posted first quarter earnings that exceeded estimates, as strong U.S. sales offset its declining Japan sales.

Toolmaker Black & Decker Corp. (NYSE: BDK) reported a lower first quarter profit on Wednesday, but still managed to beat analysts’ expectations, sending shares of the firm higher.

Shares of financial services company American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP) got a boost from investors on Friday, a day after the company reported that first quarter profit rose 21 percent, beating Wall Street expectations.

Shares in Germany’s Siemens AG (NYSE: SI) rose over 4 percent on Friday after its supervisory board chairman said he would step down yesterday as the company tries to restore its image in the midst of a series of bribery and corporate corruption accusations.

As part of the continuing shakeout in the sub-prime lending industry, H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) announced Friday that it will sell its Option One Mortgage Corp. unit to focus on its core financial services.

Shares of online broker E*Trade Financial Corp. (Nasdaq: ETFC) fell Thursday, a day after the firm’s first-quarter earnings report showed a profit that beat Wall Street expectations but also included lower guidance for the full fiscal year.

Bankrupt carrier Northwest Airlines announced Thursday that it had reached an agreement with its retirees.

Shares of brokerage TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: AMTD) shed nearly 10 percent in Tuesday trading after the firm lowered its guidance for fiscal 2007 and first-quarter income fell 18 percent.

Canadian telecom giant, BCE Inc. (NYSE: BCE) revealed on Wednesday that it was exploring strategic alternatives to enhancing shareholder value, including the possibility of going private.

Qantas staff are worried about their employment security with the airline, according to a report, after Qanta’s bidder Airline Partners Australia (APA) revised a key condition of its takeover plan last week, which calls for the airline to take on more debt.

Tattersall’s Ltd agreed to buy Golden Casket Lottery Corp. on Monday for $530 million, giving the firm a dominant position in Australian lottery sales.

Internet search leader Google, Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) announced late Friday that it agreed to acquire online advertising service DoubleClick Inc. for $3.1 billion in cash.

Shares of SLM Corp., the largest U.S. student loan provider, (NYSE: SLM) jumped on Friday after a published report said the firm is in talks with private equity groups for a possible sale of the company.

Investment bank Piper Jaffray Companies (NYSE: PJC) said on Friday that it agreed to acquire Fiduciary Asset Management, LLC (FAMCO) for about $66 million in cash, in a bid to enter the asset management business.

Shares of Mobius Management Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: MOBI) jumped on Thursday after it agreed to be acquired by Allen Systems Group, Inc. an enterprise software provider.

Mylan Laboratories Inc. (NYSE: MYL) raised its full year earnings forecast on Tuesday, citing strong sales of its generic drugs and certain new products.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) created two new senior posts for its U.S. stores on Friday, naming a new chief operating officer and a new head of human resources.

Drugstore chain Rite Aid Corp. (NYSE: RAD) and Longs Drug Stores Corp. (NYSE: LDG) said on Friday that they had signed an agreement to exchange six Longs Drug Stores in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California, for six Rite Aid stores in Nevada.

Drugstore chain Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG) (NASDAQ: WAG) named a new vice-president of purchasing on Friday, replacing its previous officer who left the company.

As part of its Eastern Europe expansion strategy, FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) said Thursday that it has signed an agreement to acquire Flying-Cargo Hungary Kft., its Hungarian global service participant.

A federal judge has barred Internet phone company Vonage Holdings Corp. (NYSE: VON) from signing up new customers as it appeals a ruling that it infringed upon Verizon Communications, Inc. (NYSE: VZ) patents.

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) said on Friday that it has signed an agreement to acquire Stratagene Corp. (NASDAQ: STGN), a manufacturer of specialized life science research and diagnostic products.

Aerospace and defense company Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) announced on Friday that it delivered the first of four mine-hunting vehicles to the U.S. Navy as part of a $118 million contract.

Shares of laser skin treatment company Cutera Inc. (NASDAQ: CUTR) fell sharply on Thursday, after the firm lowered its earnings and revenue estimates for its first fiscal quarter.

Pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Encorium Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENCO) said on Thursday that it received a number of new contracts, with an aggregate value of $4.7 billion.

Seed company Monsanto Co., (NYSE: MON) posted a net income for its fiscal second quarter higher than analysts’ expectations on Wednesday on strong sales of corn seed as U.S. farmers begin to fill the anticipated need for corn-based ethanol fuel.

News Limited, the Australian arm of News Corporation, has completely acquired the newspaper, magazine and online assets of Federal Publishing Company (FPC) for an undisclosed amount on Monday.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: HOT) unexpectedly ousted its CEO on Monday, sending shares higher.