BellSouth, (BLS: chart), said that aside form adjusted for onetime items and other special factors, it recorded income of 53 cents a share, up from 39 cents in the year-ago period. Analysts expected the company to earn 45 cents a share. Revenue advanced 1.9% to $5.24 billion from a year ago, excluding the company''s wireless business. Cingular Wireless, the company''s venture with AT&T Inc., added a net 1.8 million wireless subscribers. BellSouth owns a 40% stake. Including Cingular''s share of revenue, the company saw a 9.2% increase in sales to $8.66 billion.

Colgate-Palmolive Company, (CL: chart), reported Q4 net income of 65 cents a share, up from 50 cents a share in the comparable period in 2004. Excluding restructuring charge and other items earnings would have been 69 cents a share. The company announced a continuation of the strong momentum that built throughout 2005. Sales and unit volume, as reported including divestments, advanced 3.5%. Worldwide sales, excluding divestments, were up 5.5% on unit volume growth of 4.5%, on top of 9.0% volume growth in the comparable quarter the previous year.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, (BMY: chart), healthcare related products manufacturer, reported Q4 income of 26 cents a share, down from 7 cents a share in the year-ago period. If not for items, on a non-GAAP basis, the company earned 31 cents a share, down from 39 cents a share a year earlier. Q4 net sales from continuing operations were $5 billion, down 1%, excluding a 2% unfavorable foreign exchange impact. Analysts were anticipating earnings of 28 cents a share.

Ameritrade Holding Corp, (AMTD: chart), online-brokerage operator, reported Q1 net income advanced 1.9% to 21 cents a share, up from 20 cents a share in the year-ago period on 5.8% higher revenue, missing analyst estimate by a penny.

Praxair Inc, (PX: chart), industrial gas company, reported that Q4 net income advanced 18.2% to 65 cents a share including a $6 million accounting charge. If not for the charge, earnings would have been 67 cents a share. Analysts were expecting earnings of 64 cents a share. Sales in Q4 increased 13% to $2.02 billion, driven by growth in the company''s oil and gas well service business and strong packaged-gases sales.

Xerox Corp, (XRX: chart), producer of copiers, reported Q4 profit of 27 cents a share, higher than last year’s profit of 24 cents a share in the comparable period fueled by sales of digital color copier supplies and services. If not for restructuring costs, Xerox earned 32 cents a share, meeting analysts'' expectations. Revenue shed 2 % but revenue from color products grew 17%.

Lear Corporation, (LEA: chart), automotive interior systems suppliers, reported Q4 net loss of $8.88 per share, including impairments, restructuring and other special charges, down from a net income of $1.70 per share in the year-ago period. Operating performance went down, reflecting the adverse platform mix in North America, higher raw material and energy prices, as well as continuing cost pressures throughout the entire supply chain.

Air Products, (APD: chart), provider of gas and chemicals products, reported Q1 earnings of 80 cents a share, up from 72 cents a share a year-earlier, topping analysts’ forecasts of 78 cents a share. Sales advanced to $2.1 billion from $1.99 billion in the same period a year earlier.

AmerisourceBergen, (ABC: chart), pharmaceutical company, reported Q1 net income of 47 cents a share, up 91% from 24 cents a share in the year-earlier period, beating analysts’ forecasts of 40 cents a share. Operating income rose 24% to $166.6 million from $134.1 million and operating revenue advanced 11% to $13.5 billion.

First Midwest Bancorp Inc, (FMBI: chart), reported Q4 net income of 49 cents a share, down from 54 cents a share in the same period the previous year. If not for special items, the company would have earned 59 cents a share, up from 50 cents a share the prior year. Analysts had been expecting earnings of 51 cents a share. This estimate takes into account a decrease of 4 cents a share for the expensing of stock options, offset in part by an increase of 3 cents resulting from First Midwest''s Bank Calumet acquisition.

Nova Chemicals Corp (NCX: chart), resins and chemical and energy co-products maker, reported Q4 loss of 82 cents a share, down from a profit of $1.78 a share a year-ago, missing analyst estimate of a loss of 3 cents a share. Q4 results include a charge of $70 million related to an outage at its Corunna, Ontario flexi-cracker location, and a charge of $46 million from the closure of a Chesapeake, Va., site. Revenue advanced to $1.43 billion from $1.37 billion in the same period a year earlier.

Piper Jaffray Companies, (PJC: chart), brokerage firm, reported Q4 net income of 87 cents a share, up 39% from net income of 61 cents a share on 6.4% revenue growth and strong capital markets performance and robust"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" activity in advisory services.

Abbott, (ABT: chart), health care products manufacturer, reported Q4 earnings of 63 cents a share, up 0.2% from 62 cents a share in the year-ago period. If not for items, earnings were 76 cents a share, up 12.7% from 67 cents a share in the year-ago period, matching on that basis analyst estimate. Revenue jumped 7% to $6.05 billion. Abbott expects Q1 earnings of 62-64 cents a share, excluding items and stock compensation expense under GAAP.

Affiliated Managers Group, (AMG: chart), asset management services provider, reported Q4 net income of 90 cents a share, up 67% from 58 cents a share in the year-earlier period on 48% revenue growth. Cash earnings were $1.42 a share, up from $1.08 a share in the comparable period the previous year, beating on that basis analysts’ expectations of $1.29 a share.

ConocoPhillips, (COP: chart), crude oil and natural gas manufacturer, reported Q4 net income of $2.61 a share, compared with $1.72 a share in the year-earlier quarter on revenue growth. From continuing operations alone, the company would have earned $2.69 a share, compared with $1.76 a share in Q4 of 2004. Analysts expected earnings of $2.62 a share.