Earnings roundup: Altria, Newell Rubbermaid

Among the earnings stories for Thursday, April 24, from AP Financial News:

Top stories:

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Altria Group Inc. said Thursday its first-quarter profit fell 11 percent, in part because of costs related to the spinoff of Philip Morris International Inc. and relocating its corporate headquarters from New York to Richmond.

ATLANTA (AP) _ Consumer products maker Newell Rubbermaid Inc. reported Thursday a 15 percent increase in first-quarter profit on a modest rise in sales.

Other stories:

GLOUCESTER, Mass. (AP) _ Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates Inc., which makes equipment used to manufacture semiconductors, said Thursday its fiscal 2008 second-quarter profit fell 11 percent on higher costs and taxes.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Online technology news and entertainment company CNet Networks Inc. said Thursday its first-quarter loss narrowed on cost cuts and improvements to its operating structure.

LAKE FOREST, Calif. (AP) _ Hard drive maker Western Digital Corp. said Thursday its fiscal third-quarter profit more than doubled as revenue jumped 50 percent on healthy demand for its data storage products.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) _ Internet security company McAfee Inc. said Thursday that its first-quarter profit fell 27 percent as rising operating costs and a much higher provision for income taxes overshadowed an increase in revenue.

NEW YORK (AP) _ Restructuring charges sunk Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.'s first-quarter profit, but the drug developer reported higher sales for key treatments including the blood-thinner Plavix, and managed to top Wall Street forecasts.