Industrials

Producer prices increased in July at the fastest pace in five months. The increase was driven by gains in consumer goods although falling energy prices pointed to muted inflation pressures. 

Business inventories rose despite sales at companies falling the most in over three years.

Tropical Storm Isaac strengthened to become a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 75 mph as it looks to strike New Orleans almost seven years after Hurricane Katrina.

Shares of the world's largest agricultural equipment maker are falling after the company reported weaker-than-expected earnings.

The pharmaceutical company now expects net earnings per share to range between $3.72 and $3.82.

The fertilizer producer reported a lower-than-expected profit, suffering falling demand after an aggressive spring planting season.

The cigarette manufacturer lowered its reported fiscal 2012 earnings forecast citing one-time charges related to a plan to buy back as much as $2 billion of its long-term debt.  

The automaker will employ a new manufacturing process to make transmissions at its Indiana plant that will save costs and be replicated in its other plants down the road.

In its first earnings report since returning to the public markets, Burger King Worldwide revealed a 60% leap in second-quarter profits as the fast-food chain enjoyed stronger same-store sales growth than archrival McDonald’s.

Harley-Davidson posts better-than-expected 30% increase in earnings and stronger sales but shares fall on demand concerns. 

Factory activity in the U.S. mid-Atlantic region shrank in August, though the pace of contraction eased.

Altria Group more than doubled its second-quarter profit on demand for smokeless tobacco and higher cigarette prices.

Hurt by a strong dollar and economic turmoil in Europe, the soda bottler said it narrowed second-quarter profit and sales.

Ingersoll Rand topped profit expectations in the second quarter but posted lower sales.

General Electric logged an 18% slide in second-quarter earnings, but the blue-chip conglomerate managed to narrowly surpass Wall Street’s expectations.

Profits at United Technologies inched up just 0.8% in the second quarter amid weaker-than-expected sales, prompting the blue-chip manufacturer to slash its full-year earnings guidance.

Dow Chemical disclosed a deeper-than-expected 31% stumble in earnings as the chemical maker was struck by shrinking demand amid the weakening global economy.

The home and auto insurer swung to a profit, smashing recently lowered Wall Street expectations, after its disaster losses were less than half of the record-breaking level they hit last year.

U.S. Steel saw its quarterly profits fall by more than 50%, hit by slumping prices, rising raw material and energy costs and the debt crisis in Europe.

Tyco International, which is in the process of splitting into three companies, posted a better-than-expected quarterly profit, but its sales fell short.