Morning Roundup: Boeing Q4 Beats; Caterpillar Disappoints; McClatchy Soars

Stock futures are higher ever so slightly this morning on the heels of several prominent upside surprises in earnings.

The S&P 500 contract up 1.9 at 1,089 (S&P closed down 4.6 points yesterday at 1,092. The dollar has weakened from yesterday’s close of $1.4079 against the Euro to $1.4082 this morning.

Boeing (BA) had a huge beat on the bottom line for Q4 — by 39 cents — while revenue was better by a couple hundred. The company did forecast this year below estimates, however. Nevertheless, Boeing shares are up 99 cents, or 1.7%, this morning at $58.70.

In other earnings developments, Caterpillar’s (CAT) Q4 revenue missed by a couple hundred million, though profit per share beat, and the company forecast this year’s profit per share lower than expected, pushing the stock down 4% pre-market;

newsprint hounds�McClatchy (MNI) beat huge on the bottom line (by 32 cents) and on top line for Q4 and announced an $875 million bond offering to roll over existing debt, pushing the stock up 19% pre-market;

Hess (HES) had a blowout Q4, with revenue almost a billion more than expected;

Wellpoint (WLP) Q4 profit per share beat easily even though revenue was slightly less than expected; the company’s year EPS forecast was less than expected;

United Airlines (UAUA) Q4 profit and sales beat;

electrical utility American Electric (AEP) reaffirmed a forecast this year in line with expectations;

Illinois Tool (ITW) Q4 sales and profit beat, and the firm forecast this quarter in line with expectations;

Abbott Labs (ABT) Q4 beat on earnings and revenue and view for this year is substantially above earnings estimates;

Valero Energy (VLO) Q4 sales and profit beat, but the company cut its quarterly dividend 5 cents to 15 cents;

Dick’s Sporting Goods (DKS) raised its year forecast for profit per share above expectations;

Eagle Materials (EXP) fiscal Q3 missed sales and profit estimates;

ConocoPhillips (COP) Q4 profit was above expectations.