Among the earnings stories for Thursday, May 1, from AP Financial News:
AKRON, Ohio (AP) -- Power generator FirstEnergy Corp. said Thursday its first-quarter profit fell 5 percent on higher costs and lower investment income.
HOUSTON (AP) -- Independent oil and gas company Apache Corp. said Thursday its first-quarter earnings more than doubled on soaring oil and gas prices and rising production.
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (AP) -- Orthopedic product maker Orthofix International NV said Thursday its first-quarter profit fell 42 percent on higher costs, but soundly beat Wall Street expectations.
NEW YORK (AP) -- NDS Group PLC, a unit of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., said Thursday its fiscal third-quarter profit rose 24 percent partly on increased smart card deliveries and subscriber growth.
LIVONIA, Mich. (AP) -- Valassis Communications Inc., which makes advertising inserts tucked into newspapers, said Thursday its first-quarter profit rose 10 percent as revenue surged on contributions from an acquisition.
MARLBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) -- Sepracor Inc., which makes respiratory and central nervous disorder treatments, said Thursday its first-quarter profit fell 35 percent on buyout charges, but adjusted earnings topped expectations.
