Southern Union Co, (SUG: chart), natural gas distributor, reported Q4 loss of $1 a share, incorporating a non-cash charge of about $175 million related to the planned sale of certain natural gas distribution businesses. If not for the charge, the company earned 57 cents a share in Q4, up versus a profit of 19 cents a share a year-earlier. Operating revenue advanced to $691.7 million from $559.8 million in the same period a year earlier. The analysts’ estimate was for a profit of 42 cents a share.

Capital Title Group Inc, (CTGI: chart), real estate and mortgage services group, reported Q4 net income of 14 cents a share, down a penny from the year-ago equivalent results. The company added that revenue gained 7.9%. The analyst estimate was for earnings of 13 cents a share. Capital Title said it will be delaying the filing of its annual report on Form 10-K, due mainly to the completion of new audit procedures required under Sarbanes-Oxley legislation. It expects to file the report on or before March 31 2006.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc., (GS: chart), banking and securities services company, reported that Q1 net income advanced 64% to $5.08 a share a share, almost double from $2.94 a share a year ago and $3.35 a share for Q4 of 2005. Overall, total net revenue grew 61%, amounting to $10.34 billion, from the previous year''s $6.41 billion. Goldman also lifted its quarterly dividend to 35 cents a shares from 25 cents.

8:00AM Asian markets lost ground. New Zealand hit a new record high.
Asian-Pacific benchmarks lost ground Tuesday as rising oil prices and concerns about higher interest rates discouraged investors from buying. The Nikkei slipped 0.8% to 16,238.36, ending a three-day rally during which the market surged 4.7%. The index was dragged by weakness in major shipping companies like Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha and tech stocks, such as Tokyo Electron. Taiwan weighted index led decliners, falling 1.3% on heavy sell-off. South Korea’s Kospi dropped 0.9%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 0.1% on property stocks, while New Zealand hit a fresh all-time high of 1.7% thanks to a lower NZ dollar. In currency trading, the dollar fell to 118.60 yen.

European markets traded mixed at mid-day as lackluster close on Wall Street, recovery in oil prices, and some corporate news, weighed on sentiment. However, bid activity among retailers provided some support. The German DAX 30 dropped 0.4% on economic data with BMW rising 3.1% on upgrade from UBS. The French CAC 40 lost 0.2%, while London FTSE 100 gained 0.2%, lifted by mergers in the retail sector, including Kingfisher, up 6.9% and BSG International, up 5.9%.