Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.
The best-performing restaurant stock in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index this year reported a 25 percent gain in third-quarter profit as traffic and prices increased.
Net income rose to $60.4 million, or $1.90 a share, from $48.2 million, or $1.52 a share, a year earlier, the Denver-based company said in a statement Thursday. The average of 23 analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg was $1.85. Total revenue rose 24 percent to $591.9 million.
Janus Capital Group Inc.
The owner of the Janus, Perkins and Intech fund families said third-quarter profit fell 16 percent as investors withdrew money for the ninth consecutive quarter.
Net income fell to $27.4 million, or 15 cents a share, from $32.5 million, or 18 cents a share, a year earlier, the Den ver-based company said in a statement Thursday. Analysts had expected earnings of 18 cents a share, according to the average of 11 estimates in a Bloomberg survey.
The drop in assets and the fees they generate caused revenue to decrease 2.8 percent from a year earlier to $237 million.
Union Pacific Corp.
The nation’s largest railroad reported that its third-quarter earnings rose 16 percent, as it charged higher prices to offset slower growth in shipments and higher fuel costs.
UP earned $904 million, or $1.85 a share, between June and September. That’s up from $778 million, or $1.56 a share, a year ago. Revenue rose 16 percent to $5.1 billion.
AT&T Inc.
The country’s largest telecommunications company on Thursday reported a decline in the number of iPhones activated in its latest quarter, as buyers waited for the new model.
Net income fell to $3.62 billion, or 61 cents a share, for the July-to-September period. That’s down from $12.3 billion, or $2.07 a share, a year ago. Revenue slipped 0.3 percent to $31.5 billion.
Microsoft Corp.
The software giant’s Windows franchise regained some of its vigor during the company’s latest quarter, but that might not be enough to overcome the perception that Microsoft is being outmaneuvered by nimble rivals whose fortunes aren’t tied to the personal computer.
In the most recent quarter, Microsoft earned $5.7 billion, or 68 cents a share, for its fiscal first quarter. That compared with net income of $5.4 billion, or 62 cents a share, at the same time last year. The earnings matched analyst expectations. Revenue increased to $17.37 billion.
EnCana Corp.
Canada’s biggest natural-gas producer and a major driller on Colorado’s Western Slope said third-quarter profit fell 80 percent as the decline in the Canadian dollar resulted in currency losses.
Net income slumped to $120 million, or 16 cents a share, from $606 million, or 80 cents a share, a year earlier, Calgary-based EnCana said in a statement. Excluding currency losses and gains from contracts used to lock in commodity prices, the company earned 23 cents a share, more than double the 11-cent average of 16 analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
Southwest Airlines Co.
The nation’s biggest discount carrier raised fares and packed its planes over the summer and said bookings look solid for the rest of the year.
While its airline business did well during the peak travel season, Southwest posted a $140 million third-quarter loss because its fuel-hedging bets turned sour when oil prices fell in the summer. It was Southwest’s first loss in two years — the last one also resulted from hedging.
Without the hedging markdown and one-time expenses, Southwest would have earned $122 million, or 15 cents a share — a penny better than analysts expected. Revenue rose 35 percent to $4.31 billion.
