SBC Communications (SBC: chart) said it earned $885 million, or 27 cents per share, vs. $1.9 billion, or 59 cents a share, in the same period a year ago. Excluding $242 million in merger costs and a one-time gain from the previous year, SBC earned $1.1 billion, or 34 cents a share, vs. 37 cents a share a year ago.

Analysts had forecast earnings before items of 33 cents per share.

Instinet Group Inc. (INGP: chart), which has agreed to be acquired by Nasdaq Stock Market Inc., announced Monday that its 1Q profit dropped 36% as revenue tumbled due to lower volume on the company’s electronic-trading platforms.

Quarterly income slid to $13.9 million, or 4 cents per share, vs. $21.8 million, or 6 cents, in the year-earlier period. Analysts were looking for quarterly earnings of 4 cents per share.

Revenue for the period totaled $316.3 million, down 12% from $358.9 million a year ago. Transaction fees slid 13% to $310.9 million, while interest income soared 37% to $6.2 million.

Entergy Corp. (ETR: chart), the No. 2 U.S. nuclear power company, on Monday reported a decline in 1Q due to lower residential sales and increased maintenance costs.

Earnings fell to $172 million, or 79 cents a share, vs. $207.2 million, or 88 cents a share, last year. Analysts, on average, were expecting 79 cents a share in line with the company's lowered forecast given earlier in April.

Operating revenue in the quarter climbed to $2.32 billion from $2.25 billion last year.

The company said it still forecasts 2005 earnings at the lower end of its previous forecast of $4.60 to $4.85 a share.

St. Louis-based Arch Coal Inc. (ACI: chart), the nation's second-largest coal producer, announced Monday its 1Q earnings slid from the previous year, when it had a large gain due to the partial sale of the company's interest in Natural Resource Partners. The company’s latest earnings still beat Wall Street expectations, and the company's stock gained 3% early Monday.

The company announced it earned $4.8 million, or 7 cents per share, in the January-March period, vs. $68.2 million, or $1.14 per share, a year ago. Analysts were looking for 23 cents per share.

Revenues for 1Q of this year were $600.5 million, up 49% from $403.5 a year earlier.


Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. (CBA: chart), China's largest minibus maker, said Monday its 2004 net profit tumbled 95% on decreasing demand due to the government's economic cooling measures.

Net profit totaled 48.6 million Chinese yuan ($5.87 million), down from 936.4 million yuan in 2003. Revenue dropped to 6.54 billion yuan ($790 million) vs. 10.11 billion yuan last year.

Huntington Bancshares Inc. (HBAN: chart) said Monday that earnings for 1Q slid to $96.5 million, or 41 cents a share, vs. $104.2 million, or 45 cents a share, a year earlier. The company's earnings were a penny below the expectations of analysts.

For the year, the company reaffirmed its earning prediction of $1.78 to $1.83 per share.

The clothing label maker Paxar Corp. (PXR: chart) on Monday announced it forecasts 2Q earnings, excluding restructuring costs, between 38 cents and 41 cents per share on sales between $216 million and $221 million.

Plains, New York-based company also slashed its 2005 full-year earnings forecast, excluding special items, to between $1.06 and $1.15 per share, on sales in the $822 million to $837 million range.