Earnings roundup: Shaw Group, PriceSmart

Among the earnings stories for Thursday, Jan. 8, from AP Financial News:

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Shaw Group Inc. posted a loss Thursday for its first quarter as the Japanese yen strengthened against the U.S. dollar, eroding the engineering and construction company's returns on its stake in nuclear power plant builder Westinghouse.

SAN DIEGO (AP) _ Warehouse club operator PriceSmart Inc. said Thursday its fiscal first-quarter profit jumped 60 percent, boosted by higher sales.

MEDINA, Ohio (AP) _ Coatings and sealants maker RPM International Inc. on Thursday said its fiscal second-quarter earnings declined 23 percent, due to the impact of the economic downturn on the consumer products segment.

MELVILLE, N.Y. (AP) _ MSC Industrial Direct Co., which distributes maintenance and repair supplies, said Thursday that profit fell 3.8 percent in its fiscal 2009 first quarter, but its earnings per share beat Wall Street estimates.

MONTVALE, N.J. (AP) _ The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., which owns A&P and other supermarkets, on Thursday reported a fiscal third-quarter loss as expenses increased from the prior year, when the company booked a hefty gain on the sale of the Metro Inc. chain.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) _ Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc. on Thursday reported a fiscal first-quarter loss due to a drop in demand for recycled metals and finished steel products.