Earnings Report

Asian stock markets were mostly higher Thursday, with Australia's benchmark leading gains on a crop of healthy earnings reports.

Asia stocks rose Monday as subdued Chinese inflation, a rebound by Japanese markets and the latest easing of tensions over Ukraine helped offset unease about Iraq.

Government-controlled mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac posted profits for the April-June period as the U.S. housing market continued to recover.

___ US airfares on the rise, outpacing inflation NEW YORK (AP) — The average roundtrip ticket within the U.S., including taxes, reached $509.15 in the first six months of this year, up nearly $14 from the same period last year.

Business News at 1:30 p.m.

WellPoint's second-quarter profit fell 8.6 percent as expenses climbed.

Asian stock markets were mostly higher Monday, shrugging off jitters about stiffer Western sanctions against Russia, after China reported strong corporate profits.

FRIDAY, Aug. 1 WASHINGTON — Labor Department releases employment data for July, 8:30 a.m.; Commerce Department releases personal income and spending for June, 8:30 a.m.; Institute for Supply Management releases its manufacturing index for July, 10 a.m.; Commerce Department releases construction spending for June, 10 a.m.

Hyundai Motor Co. says its second-quarter profit fell 7 percent as the appreciation of South Korean diluted its overseas earnings.

UnitedHealth Group says its second-quarter earnings slipped 2 percent on a rise in taxes and other expenses, but the nation's largest health insurer still trumped analyst expectations.

CSX Corp. officials are optimistic about the railroad's long-term results, but its third-quarter profit will likely be relatively flat.

State officials say Idaho closed the 2014 fiscal year with $7.2 million more than anticipated.

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Ohio's casino tax revenue over the past year fell short of what state officials had predicted.

Boosted by rising home prices, government-run Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac posted combined third-quarter profits of nearly $40 billion.

The bank reported a 96% drop in quarterly earnings after taking a $3.8 billion charge related to a settlement with the DoJ. Citigroup will Pay $7 Billion to Resolve Mortgage Probe

Avon Products will pay the U.S. government $135 million to settle a multiyear probe into its efforts to develop new markets overseas, according to a preliminary understanding the beauty products company disclosed on Thursday.

Eli Lilly forecast a decline in earnings, in line with views, hurt by cheaper generic forms of its Zyprexa and Cymbalta drugs.

Avon warned that negotiations with the government over a bribery probe could lead to a massive settlement that would materially impact the business. 

AstraZeneca appointed former GlaxoSmithKline executive Marc Dunoyer as chief financial officer on Thursday and revealed an 18% decline in third-quarter profit.