UnitedHealth (UNH: chart) said its net income advanced to $809 million or 61 cents a share, versus $596 million, or 47 cents a share, for the comparable quarter a year ago. Analysts expected earnings of 60 cents a share for the latest three-month period.

Revenue rose 28% to $11.1 billion versus $8.7 billion on a jump in revenue due to premiums. The company also reported higher services revenue, as well as revenue from investment and other income sources. Analysts had projected the company’s revenue to amount at $11.07 billion for the quarter.

The company said it extended its services to 2 million new consumers during the first half of the year, including 580,000 people in the second quarter. UnitedHealth now expects earnings of 63 cents a share for the third quarter.

The Dallas-based carrier Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV: chart) reported its 57th straight quarterly profit in a row, overcoming the surging oil prices and the sector’s challenges. The company said net income advanced 41% to $159 million, or 20 cents a share, in the latest quarter, versus $113 million, or 14 cents a share, last year. Revenue climbed 13% to $1.94 billion vs. $1.72 billion.

The company sees a year-over-year growth in unit revenue in the third quarter on bookings and traffic trends so far in July, despite the earlier projected third-quarter capacity increase of 12%.

Basel, Switzerland-based Novartis (NVS: chart) on Thursday posted a 9% jump in second-quarter net profit, citing active sales of its prescription drugs. Novartis also reaffirmed its forecast that this year sales are seen to climb at a high-single digit pace and said net and operating profit are still expected to beat a year-ago level.

Novartis said net profit jumped to $1.65 billion, or 70 cents a share, in the second quarter ended June 30, up versus $1.51 billion, or 63 cents a share in the year-earlier comparable quarter.

Sales advanced 12% to $7.79 billion versus $6.97 billion, beating estimates. Net profit was also above expectations of $1.59 billion. Overall drugs sales grew 12% to $5.13 billion versus $4.57 billion. The company's best-selling medicine for the second quarter was Diovan, a treatment against high-blood pressure, which enjoyed sales of $912 million, posting a 20% growth vs. last year’s sales.

Operating profit from medicines that don't require a prescription, jumped 5% to $289 million versus $274 million, on a 10% growth in sales to $1.84 billion versus $1.66 billion.

M.D.C. Holdings Inc. (MDC: chart) after the closing bell Wednesday said quarterly net income totaled $102.6 million, or $2.25 a share, versus $82.6 million, or $1.87 a share a year ago. Analysts forecasted earnings of $2.06 a share. The company said quarterly revenue was $1.0 billion compared with $875.5 million a year earlier. Shares of M.D.C. Holdings advanced 40 cents to finish at $86.40 Wednesday.

Avid Technology Inc. (AVD: chart), digital media company, after the bell Wednesday said it forecasts a sequential revenue drop to $160 million in the second quarter, blaming the decline on lower video revenues due to less broadcast revenue and unfavorable currency translation. The company sees a net loss for the quarter of $12 million to $13 million, or 34 cents to 36 cents a share. On a pro forma basis, Avid expects earnings of $14.5 million to $15.5 million, or 40 cents to 42 cents a share, while analysts are looking for a profit of 58 cents per share on revenue of $171 million for the second quarter.

PPD Inc. (PPDI: chart) after the closing bell Wednesday posted second-quarter net earnings of $23.7 million, or 41 cents a share, versus $23.3 million, or 41 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue totaled $224.9 million compared with $183.2 million last year. The company lifted its 3Q, 4Q and full-year 2005 outlook to a range of 43 cents to 45 cents earnings per share, 49 cents to 51 cents a share and $1.85 to $1.93 a share, respectively.

Yum Brands' (YUM: chart) second-quarter revenue and profit were pushed higher by the sales growth in the U.S. and worldwide due to the openings of new restaurants. Yum posted earnings of $187 million, or 62 cents a share, for the quarter, which is up versus $178 million and 58 cents a year earlier and also 5 cents above the estimate of analysts. Revenue totaled $2.2 billion, up 4%, as the company opened more than 500 new restaurants during last year. Shares of Yum lost 1% to $51.71 ahead of the report.

Apple Computer (AAPL: chart) Wednesday posted a third-quarter profit of $320 million, or 37 cents a share, on revenue of $3.52 billion versus $61 million, or 9 cents a share, on revenue of $2.01 billion in the same quarter a year earlier. Apple’s financial results outpaced analysts’ forecast of a profit of 31 cents a share on $3.34 billion in revenue. IPod sales jumped to 6.15 million units vs. 860,000 last year.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD: chart) Wednesday reported second-quarter net income of $11 million, or 3 cents a share, down vs. $32 million, or 9 cents a share, in the year-ago quarter, beating Wall Street's views of a loss 6 cents a share. Sales remained largely unchanged at $1.26 billion in the quarter. Shares of AMD closed at $19.25, down 12 cents.

Marriott International Inc. (MAR: chart) said Thursday that 2Q profit declined 14% to $138 million, or 59 cents a share, versus $160 million, or 67 cents, last year. Excluding charges and gains, earnings would have totaled 75 cents a share, missing analysts' forecast of 77 cents. Revenue for the quarter climbed 11% to $2.66 billion versus $2.4 billion in last year's comparable period. For the third quarter, the hotel operator sees earnings at 61 to 65 cents a share vs. analysts' estimate for 61 cents. Marriott’s shares closed Wednesday at $70.40, up 12 cents.

Fairchild Semiconductor (FCS: chart) said it swung to a second-quarter net loss of $205.3 million, or $1.71 a share, including a $195.3 million non-cash charge related to deferred tax assets. Last year, net income was $17 million, or 14 cents a share. Under pro forma calculations, its adjusted net loss was $2.2 million, or 2 cents a share. Thomson First Call estimates were for earnings of 5 cents a share. Sales fell 16.5% to $346 million. Gross margin was 19.9%, 940 basis points lower than the second quarter of 2004. ""Margins were impacted primarily by our efforts to reduce channel and internal inventories,"" it said. Fairchild sees third-quarter revenue to be flat and gross margins to be flat to slightly higher, both from the second quarter.

Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB: chart), a financial services company, posted second-quarter earnings of $417 million, or 75 cents a share, down versus $448 million, or 79 cents a share in the comparable quarter last year, beating analyst views of 74 cents a share. Return on average assets declined to 1.63% versus last year's 1.91% and return on average equity dropped to 18.1% versus 21%. Mortgage net service revenue fell to $46 million vs. $61 million. The stock finished Wednesday up 42 cents at $43.44.