Earnings roundup

Several companies, including some based in Utah or with ties to the state, reported quarterly earnings results Thursday.

Nucor

Another strong quarterly earnings report by steelmaker and scrap metal recycler Nucor Corp. sent the company's share price higher.

For the quarter ending Sept. 30, Nucor reported net earnings of $517.6 million, or $1.68 per share. That was up 77 percent over the $291.9 million, or 93 cents per share, earned in the third quarter of 2005.

Consolidated net sales totaled $3.93 billion for the quarter, up from $3.03 billion in the third quarter of 2005.

The results beat Wall Street expectations for profit of $1.56 per share on sales of $3.88 billion, according to a poll by Thomson Financial. Nucor shares rose 40 cents to close at $54.70 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Nucor, the nation's largest recycler, has operations in 17 states and has also announced this year a new $27 million Utah facility.

Honeywell

Shares of Honeywell International Inc. dropped despite the company's report that its third-quarter profit was up nearly 17 percent on higher demand for aerospace and automation products.

The Morris Township-based diversified manufacturer, which has an automotive filter plant in Clearfield, said net income in the latest quarter rose to $541 million, or 66 cents per share, from $464 million, or 54 cents per share, in the year-ago period.

Sales rose 15 percent to $7.95 billion from $6.9 billion last year.

Avocent

Alabama-based Avocent, which in August completed its acquisition of South Jordan-based LANDesk Group Ltd., reported net income of $2.6 million, or 5 cents per share, for the third quarter. That compares with $16.4 million, or 33 cents per share, for the year-earlier quarter.

Net sales totaled $142.3 million, including $13.5 million from the LANDesk acquisition. That's up 47.1 percent from sales in the year-earlier quarter.

Utah Medical

Salt Lake-based Utah Medical Products reported net income of $2 million, or 49.8 cents per share, for the third quarter. That compares with $1.8 million, or 43.6 cents per share, for the same quarter a year earlier.

Sales totaled $7 million, flat with a year earlier.

The company manufactures, assembles and markets specialty medical devices.

McDonald's

Premium coffee sales, more 24-hour restaurants and accelerated momentum in Europe all helped McDonald's Corp. report a 15 percent increase in third-quarter earnings.

Net income for the July-through-September period was $843.3 million, or 68 cents a share, up from $735.4 million, or 58 cents a share, a year earlier.

Revenues rose 10 percent to $5.88 billion from $5.33 billion.

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Contributing: The Associated Press; Brice Wallace