Stocks point lower, earnings data

Stocks point lower before earnings data (AP)

AP - Stocks pointed to a lower opening Thursday, as investors appeared poised to take profits ahead of key earnings reports and a day after the Dow Jones industrials reached a new all-time high.

Some more earnings report:

• Schering-Plough income rose 55%
  
• Southwest Airlines Quarterly profit up to 12c per share (from 4c per share). Income is at US$93 million.
• Hercules - initial reports: income increased 9.6 per cent
• Continental Airlines: Quarterly profit USD 22 million (21 cents a share). Last year, it posted a loss of more than 60 million
  
• LG Electronics - swings to a loss of $132 million
  
• eBay - profit up 52%
• Kraft - profit is 30% down, 702 million USD (44 c per share) from 1 Billion USD (61 c per share)
• JPMorgan - profit up 52 per cent
• AMR - 81 million profit from loss last year