Stronger Opening

Stocks appear set to open higher
Tuesday.

Schering-Plough
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posted Q3
earnings of 41 cents a share, in line with analysts’ estimates and outpacing the
same quarter a year ago by a penny.

D&K Healthcare
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reported Q1 earnings of 50 cents a share, beating analysts’ estimates by 14
cents. The company said sales rose to $529.1 million, an increase of 51%. DKWD
also says earnings for Q2 should come in at 59 cents, while analysts polled have
a mean of 57 cents.

Benchmark Electric
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reported
a Q3 net of 11 cents a share, in line with analysts’ consensus.

According to a report in the Wall
Street Journal
, AT&T
(
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said it will be slashing 2,400 jobs, thus
increasing the total layoffs to more than 8,000 since January, or almost 6.4% of
the company’s workforce.

EarthLink
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reported a
narrower-than-expected loss for the third quarter. The company reported a loss
of 17 cents, while analysts polled by Thomson Financial/First Call were
expecting a loss of 19 cents.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe
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reported Q3 earnings of 58 cents a share on a diluted basis. According to
research firm Thomson Financial/First Call, analysts surveyed were expecting
earnings to come in between 53 and 59 cents a share with a mean of 56 cents.

FPL Group
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reported earnings
of $1.98 a share vs. $1.84 for the same quarter a year ago. The Florida
utility company beat analysts’ consensus of $1.97 according to Thomson
Financial/First Call.