Construction & Engineering

Layne Christensen Company (Nasdaq: LAYN) announced on Wednesday morning that it far exceeded consensus Wall Street earnings estimates. Layne Christensen Company reported that its fiscal 1st quarter net income jumped to $6.6 million, or 34 cents per share, up from $1 million, or 5 cents per share, a...

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (TMO) has recently acquired Fermentas International Inc. for $260 million in cash, subject to a post-closing adjustment. The company expects to close the transaction in the third quarter of fiscal 2010. Thermo Fisher does not expect the acquisition to have any material...

Among the notable after hours movers today are Foster Wheeler (NASDAQ: FWLT), Rio Tinto (NYSE: RTP), and Suncor Energy (NYSE: SU). Foster Wheeler (FWLT) shares have gained 1.76% to $24.42 in the after hours trading session, after the company's CEO appeared on CNBC's Mad Money with Jim Cramer. Rio...

CKE Restaurants (NYSE: CKR) was downgraded by Roth Capital from “hold” to “sell.” CKR’s shares closed at $12.29 yesterday. CKE Restaurants’ quarterly sales fell by 4.80%. Ticonderoga downgraded Invesco Plc (NYSE: IVZ) from “buy” to “hold.” IVZ’s shares closed at $18.41 yesterday. Invesco’s earnings...

BRE Properties Inc (NYSE: BRE) was upgraded by Benchmark from “hold” to “buy.” BRE’s shares closed at $39.31 yesterday. BRE Properties’ trailing-twelve-month gross margins stand at 67.68%. FBR Capital upgraded Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) from “market perform” to “outperform.” MSFT’s shares closed at $...

• Tiffany (NYSE:TIF) reported first quarter earnings of 50 cents, versus Zacks projections of 36 cents, on a 22.4% revenue gain to $633.6 million, which beat projections of $609 million • Heinz (NYSE:HNZ) beat fiscal fourth quarter earnings by one penny, reporting at 60 cents per share on a 8.3%...

Analysts at Goldman Sachs upgrade Fluor (NYSE: FLR) from "neutral" to "buy." FLR’s shares fell 1.93% to close at $44.28 yesterday. More Analyst Ratings here

Dycom Industries Inc (NYSE: DY) announced on Tuesday after the market closed that it beat consensus Wall Street estimates. Dycom Industries Inc reported surprise fiscal 3rd quarter earnings of 4 cents per share. According to a survey of analysts by Thomson Reuters, the average Wall Street estimate...

Analysts at Janney Montgomery Scott upgrade Layne Christensen (NASDAQ: LAYN) from "neutral" to "buy." The target price for LAYN is set to $30. LAYN’s shares dropped 1.87% to close at $23.56 yesterday. More Analyst Ratings here

McLean, VA – "Freddie Mac yesterday released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.84 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending May 20, 2010, down from last week when it averaged 4.93 percent. Last year at this time...

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) reported first quarter results on April 20. The company also provided an outlook for 2010 and the development status of its pipeline. First Quarter Highlights The company reported earnings per share (EPS) of $1.62, which includes an after-tax gain of $910 million arising...

At 1:46 pm, Dow gained 119.41 points, or 1.11%, to 10,867.67, while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 index was up 11.88 points, or 1.03%. The Nasdaq composite index too had advanced 39.46 points, or 1.66%. The industries that are driving the market today are: Music & Video Stores: The top...

Sterling Construction Company Inc (NASDAQ: STRL) was downgraded by Wunderlich from “buy” to “hold.” STRL closed at $16.62 yesterday. Sterling Construction has a 52-week trading range of $12.52-$21.22. Auriga downgraded inVentiv Health Inc (NASDAQ: VTIV) from “buy” to “hold.” VTIV’s shares closed at...

Stifel Nicolaus upgraded shares of Fluor (NYSE: FLR) from Hold to Buy today prior to the opening bell. The firm also put a $57 price target on the stock. Yesterday afternoon after the closing bell, Fluor (FLR) reported earnings per share of $0.76 compared to Wall Street estimates of $0.74. During...