Shares of the natural gas processor Western Gas Partners LP hit a fresh 52-week high Wednesday, supported by a positive growth outlook stemming from the Monday acquisition of new processing facilities in Colorado and in anticipation of solid second-quarter earnings.

Boeing Co. reported decreased earnings on fewer aircraft deliveries, causing its shares to fall. Still, the aviation giant beat Wall Street’s expectations.

Naperville-based Nalco Holding Co. swung to a profit in the second quarter on increased sales of its oil dispersant, Corexit, being used in the Gulf oil spill clean-up.

Columbia Sportswear reported narrower-than-expected loss for the second quarter ended June 30.

Google’s second quarter saw rising revenues and earnings, but fell short of Wall Street expectations.

Citigroup may seem like an attractive buy but check its balance sheet again (photo Alexandra Harris/MEDILL)

Northern Trust on LaSalle Street. Alice Truong/MEDILL

BY ALICE TRUONG – MEDILL NEWS SERVICE

Seems like Northern Trust Corp.’s (Nasdaq:NTRS) clients are still apparently shaken by the economic climate.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/randyread/ / CC BY 2.0

BY KELLEN M. HENRY– MEDILL NEWS SERVICE

Deere & Co. [[DE]] saw its profits drop in the third quarter of 2009, but the agriculture machinery manufacture fared better than analysts expected.

The Moline, Ill.-based tractor-maker’s net income fell 27 percent to $420 million for the quarter ended [...]

Martha Stewart (Smoothdude/FLICKR)

BY DEB WEINSTEIN- MEDILL NEWS SERVICE

A day after Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc., [[MSO]] posted a wider loss of $16.8 million for the quarter ended March 31, compared with a $4.2 million loss in the year-earlier period, Martha Stewart, the [...]

BY BENJAMIN MIRASKI, MEDILL NEWS SERVICE

From April to June, I was part of a group that tracked LDK Solar’s stock price [[LDK]] and the reasons for its movements. It wasn’t hard to see why LDK was flying during that time.

Oil prices were on a tear from [...]