Sales declined 5% to $4.75 billion vs. $5.02 billion last year, which included a 53rd week.

Excluding charges, the results topped analysts' estimates for profit of 31 cents per share, though sales missed the $5.05 billion consensus estimate.

Sara Lee sees 1Q earnings of 22 cents to 27 cents per share, vs. 44 cents per share last year. Fiscal 2006 earnings are estimated to range between $1.24 and $1.34 per share, vs. 90 cents per share in fiscal 2005, which included 55 cents of one-time charges.

Sales are seen unchanged to slightly down mainly on unfavorable foreign currency exchange rates, vs. a 1% boost to $19.3 billion in fiscal 2005.

For 1Q analysts project profit of 43 cents on sales of $4.95 billion. For the full year, earnings are seen at $1.44 per share on sales of $20.32 billion.

Warner Music Group Corp. (WMG: chart) Thursday said its 3Q net loss widened on charges related to its IPO. The company reported a 3Q loss of $179 million, or $1.41 a share, versus a year-ago loss of $91 million, or 85 cents a share.

Excluding one-time items, the company reported a loss of $35 million, or 27 cents a share, while analysts expected a loss of 49 cents a share.

Revenue increased 2% to $742 million vs. $726 million, while Wall Street estimate was $721.3 million.

Toll Brothers Inc. (TOL: chart) said that its 3Q home building revenue increased 55% to $1.54 billion versus $991.3 million in the same quarter a year earlier. During the quarter, contracts climbed 19% to $1.92 billion, while backlog jumped 48% to $6.43 billion.

ShopKo Stores Inc. (SKO: chart) said that its consolidated comparable store sales for the month of July dropped 4.9% vs. the same month last year. Monthly total retail sales dropped 4.2% to $213.2 million vs. $222.5 million in the year-earlier period. Total retail sales for the latest quarter declined 5% to $737.0 million, while first half of the year retail sales declined 4.7% to $1.44 billion. The company is to release its 2Q earnings results on August 18.

TODCO (THE: chart) posted2Q net income of $11.0 million or 18 cents per share, vs. a net loss of $7.4 million or 12 cents per share in the same quarter a year earlier. Revenue jumped to $130.5 million vs. $80.8 million last year, while analysts expected earnings of 18 cents per share on revenues of $120.27 million. The company also declared a special cash dividend of $1.00 per share of common stock payable on August 25 to stockholders of record on August 15, 2005.

The PMI Group (PMI: chart) said 2Q net income totaled $104.6 million or $1.04 per share, versus $96.7 million or $0.93 per share in the year-earlier comparable period. Total revenue for the quarter climbed to $288.2 million versus $264.7 million in the same period last year. Net premiums written were $199.8 million, vs. $190.9 million last year. Consolidated premiums earned for the second quarter totaled $206.4 million, vs. $187.7 million for the year-ago quarter. Analysts expected the company to earn $1.01 per share on revenues of $282.17 million for the quarter.

Kubota Corp. (KUB: chart) posted 2Q net income of 19.1 billion yen, up 36.2% vs. the comparable period last year. Income before income taxes, minority interests in earnings of subsidiaries, and equity in net income of affiliated companies jumped 24.4% to 32.1 billion yen. Net sales advanced 11.9% to 219.5 billion yen vs. the year-earlier quarter. Overseas sales climbed 15.7% to 100.0 billion yen vs. 2Q last year.

Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST: chart) posted net sales of $4.02 billion for July, a jump of 8% vs. $3.71 billion in the same period last year. Total comparable sales for July climbed 5%, while US comparable sales were up 4% and international comparable sales jumped 12%.

Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI: chart) posted 4Q net earnings, excluding items, of $36.6 million or 8 cents per share vs. $15.9 million or 4 cents a share, last year. Analysts expected earnings of 3 cents per share for the quarter. Revenue jumped to $492.4 million vs. $434.3 million in the same quarter a year ago. Gold production for the September quarter is seen to be slightly lower than the June-ended quarter and could also be hit by industrial action at the South African operations of the company.

AIXTRON AG (AIXG: chart), posted 2Q net loss after tax 2.0 million euro or 2 euro cents per share vs. a net income of 0.7 million euro or 1 euro cent per share last year. Revenues for the quarter jumped 33% to 44.4 million euro, while gross margin on sales dropped to 26% vs. 37% a year ago. The company cut its fiscal 2005 revenues to 150-160 million euro from earlier guided revenues of 160-170 million euro.

Pengrowth Corp. (PGH: chart) posted 2Q net income of C$53.10 million or C$0.34 per unit, vs. C$32.68 million or C$0.24 per unit in the comparable quarter a year earlier. Oil and gas sales jumped 28% to C$247.90 million vs. C$193.63 million in the same period a year ago.

GPC Biotech AG (GPCB: chart) posted a 2Q net loss, including charges, of 16.0 million euro or 53 euro cents per share, vs. a net loss of 9.3 million euro or 43 euro cents per share in the year-ago comparable period. Excluding the non-cash charge related to the sublease contract of 2.8 million euro, the company's pro forma net loss was 13.3 million euro for the quarter, an increase of 42% vs. 9.3 million euro net loss for the same quarter in 2004. Revenue declined 4% to 2.5 million euro vs. 2.6 million euro last year.

Newcastle Investment Corp. (NCT: chart) reported 2Q funds from operation of $28.1 million or 64 cents per diluted share vs. $18.7 million or 51 cents per share a year ago. The quarterly result excluded the effect from reversal of accumulated depreciation on sale of real estate. Including the effect mentioned above, funds from operations for 2Q were $23.0 million or 52 cents per share, up vs. $18.7 million or 51 cents per share last year. Revenue climbed to $92.06 million vs. $61.61 million a year earlier. Analysts expected company's funds from operations of 64 cents per share on revenues of $88.18 million.

Tesco (TESOF: chart) posted 2Q net income of C$3.7 million or 10 cents per share vs. a net loss of C$1.4 million or 4 cents per share in the same quarter a year earlier. 2Q revenue climbed 33% to C$51.6 million vs. C$38.9 million in the year-earlier quarter.