MINERAL              EXPLORATION Mineral exploration can be a golden investment opportunity worth taking a closer look at. It is the process of finding a viable ore body, or concentrations of minerals. This differs from mineral prospecting due to its greater intensity and more extensive nature. The process of mineral exploration can be divided into several stages, depending on the size... 

Petron Energy, Inc. was incorporated October, 1998 as a Texas corporation. Petron Energy, Inc. is a small independent oil and gas corporation, engaged in the development of oil and natural gas properties in Texas and Louisiana. The firm looks to capitalize on the enormous energy opportunity created by emerging global markets and domestic supply shortfalls. Since their inception they’ve provided... 

Pitney Bowes Inc.’s PBI -1.81% first-quarter earnings rose 80% on tax benefits and other items as the mail-and document-services company continued to report declining revenue. Pitney Bowes has been struggling to adapt to slumping mail use in North America as consumers turn to email and other communication methods. Pitney Bowes has sought to shift its focus from less-profitable businesses and... 

Exelon Corp.’s EXC -0.75% first-quart earnings fell 70% as costs related to the electric and gas utility’s merger with Constellation Energy Group Inc. weighed on results and as margins weakened. Exelon, the largest operator of nuclear plants in the U.S., completed its acquisition of Constellation in March. The merger, an all-stock deal valued at nearly $8 billion, allows Exelon to absorb... 

SEOUL (MarketWatch) — SK Hynix Inc. has decided to join in a final bid for Japan’s Elpida Memory Inc., local online news provider Edaily reported Friday, citing an unnamed SK Hynix source. “Today, Hynix will submit its proposal to join in the second [round] bidding to the lead manager Nomura,” the report said, quoting the unnamed SK Hynix official. The final auction will close... 

Kona Grill Inc. KONA 0.00% swung to a profit in its first-quarter as the company reported better-than-expected restaurant sales growth. Shares jumped 15% to $7.74 after hours as Kona Grill’s earnings easily topped the company’s estimates and as it issued an upbeat earnings forecast for the current quarter. Kona Grill expects second-quarter earnings of 14 cents a share, above the 10-cent... 

Helen of Troy Corp.’s HELE +4.25% fiscal fourth-quarter earnings rose 20% from a year-earlier period weighed down by impairment charges as the housewares and personal-care products company posted stronger-than-expected revenue, though margins declined. The company also forecast fiscal 2013 earnings of $3.80 to $3.90 a share on revenue of $1.3 billion to $1.33 billion, while analysts surveyed... 

Lazard Ltd.’s LAZ +3.06% first-quarter net income fell 54% on costs tied to cutting staff, yet the midsize investment bank posted a core profit and revenue that easily topped expectations on stronger demand for deal-making advice. The firm’s strategic-advisory business showed improvements over both last year and the previous period, posting operating revenue of $207 million for the first... 

Baidu Inc.’s BIDU -2.74% first-quarter earnings surged 76% as the Chinese Internet search giant’s revenue continued to surge. American depositary shares were still off 10% at $122 after hours as investors took a dim view toward a top line that was merely in-line with expectations. Baidu, which generates almost all its revenue from search advertising, has posted double-digit earnings growth... 

TOKYO (MarketWatch) — Toshiba Corp. (6502.TO) will not participate in the second round of bidding for failed chipmaker Elpida Memory, the Sankei Shimbun reported in its Tuesday morning edition. Noting that the bidding process won’t include a Japanese company, the paper said that the field has been narrowed down to South Korea’s SK Hynix Inc. HXSCF 0.00% , Micron Technology Inc. MU...