Crown Media, cable television operator, reported 1Q net loss of 49 cents per share compared with 40 cents in the prior-year period. The quarterly revenue increased 21%, from $33.4 million to $40.6 million.

AMIS Holdings, parent company of AMI Semiconductor, updated its 2Q outlook stating earnings of 12 cents per share to 14 cents including 2 cents a share tax charge. The company expects higher revenue and gross margins on strong target markets.

Tommy Hilfiger, fashion designer, sees its 2006 pretax earnings from 30% to 35% higher but revenue lower. Preliminary 2005 earnings fell 46% to $92 million, revenue declined to $492 million from $510 million.

Haemonetics, blood processing systems maker, backed its 2006 outlook for earnings of $1.73 to $1.83 on higher revenue.

Publisher John Wiley & Sons posted 4Q 25% earnings increase to 20 cents a share excluding taxes and a 4% revenue rise to $241.6 million on strong sales. The publisher released 2006 revenue and earnings growth outlook.

Lazard, investment bank, posted 281% increase in earnings for the first quarter, or 31cents per share vs. 8 cents a year ago. The results reflect structural changes after the bank went public last month.

Chiron, biotech developer, cut its 2005 earnings guidance due to reduced production forecast. The company expects earnings to be between $1.20 and $1.45 per share vs. earlier forecast of $1.40 to $1.50 a share.

ITW lowered its income outlook for the second quarter to $1.22 or $1.26 per share as well as for 2005 to $4.90 to $5 a share.

Stocks in Europe finished down although banks and insurers gained on M&A speculations. Markets were dragged on climbing oil prices which topped $56 a barrel and expectations of weak consumer spending. Averages fell 0.9% in Germany, 0.3% in France and 0.5% in the U.K.

Most Asia-Pacific markets closed higher as Japanese stocks advanced further up after the Nikkei hit a two-month high the previous session. The index added 0.7% led up by banking and export-related stocks. Taiwan’s index ended up 0.8%, Seoul’s Kospi was up 1.9% whereas China’s Shanghai Composite index closed down 1.9%. The U.S. dollar bought 109.34 yen in late U.S. trading.


IN OTHER NOTES

Bausch & Lomb dropped 3%, the company announced that it will hire 200 people in its R&D team.

Grupo Iusacell jumped 7.5%, Mexican cell phone company operator asked NYSE to terminate its ADR program.

USX, Steel operator, dropped 5% on no specific news.
Alliance Gaming dropped 5.8% after yesterday’s gain in sympathy on small cap gaming stocks upgrade.

Philips, European consumer electronics operator, warned that 2Q will be a difficult quarter on weakness in domestic appliance and consumer electronics business.

Tiger Telematics, owner of Gizmondo Europe declined 28.5% in Nasdaq trading.

Affirmative Insurance rallied 20% on the news that Vesta Insurance will sell rest of its stake of 5.2 million shares to a private company for $15 per share.

Kronos, time clock maker, fell 5% on CIBC downgrade.