Earnings roundup: Credit Suisse, Dow Chemical

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

Top stories:

ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) _ Credit Suisse Group on Thursday posted a $2.1 billion loss for the first quarter as the global effects of the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis continued to spread.

DETROIT (AP) _ Dow Chemical Co. on Thursday reported a 3 percent drop in first-quarter profit because of higher feedstock and energy costs, but still managed to top Wall Street's expectations.

Other stories:

TOWSON, Md. (AP) _ Black & Decker Corp. said Thursday its first-quarter profit dropped 38 percent, hurt partly by a restructuring charge and softer U.S. demand for tools and home improvement products.

FOSTER CITY, Calif. (AP) _ Applied Biosystems Group, which makes DNA gene analysis systems, said Thursday its fiscal third-quarter earnings rose 10 percent, as the weaker U.S. dollar helped boost international sales.

SHANGHAI, China (AP) _ China Shenhua Energy Co., the country's biggest coal miner, saw its net profit jump 38 percent in the first quarter of the year on surging output.

NEW YORK (AP) _ Asbury Automotive Group Inc. said Thursday its first-quarter profit skyrocketed in comparison to a year-ago period laden with hefty one-time charges, but the results failed to meet Wall Street's expectations.

NEW YORK (AP) _ Biotechnology company ImClone Systems Inc. said Thursday it swung to a first-quarter loss on a hefty writedown for auction rate securities in its portfolio.

PITTSBURGH (AP) _ Wesco International Inc.'s profit slipped 7 percent in the first quarter as the housing slump crimped demand for electrical products used in construction, the electrical products maker said Thursday.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ Food distributor Nash Finch Co. said Thursday its first-quarter profit more than doubled, helped by a reduction in bad debt reserves and expenses.