Earnings Report 1st Quarter: How should you play the Numbers

Yahoo

Yahoo reported a Disappointing first quarter on April 17, 2006. Profits are down 11 percent, which has many analyst specualting how long CEO Terry Semel will last and also the partnership between Yahoo and Ebay. The Buzz about Yahoo's new search advertising site did not meet the expectations of many. Investors sent the stock tumbling more than 8%, to $29.48, in after-hours trading.

Washington Mutual

Washington mutual's profit plunges 2o percent. The financial giant which has the largest savings and loan in the United States reported that a reduction in the US housing market is a reason for such a decline. The home loans unit posted a $113 million quarterly loss, compared with a year-earlier $52 million profit, as "weakness in the subprime mortgage market overshadow[ed] improvement in [the] prime business," the thrift said. Loan volume slid 34 percent to $29.6 billion.