Net profit in the three months ended Dec. 31 fell to KRW196 billion (US$175.2 million) from KRW502.5 billion a year earlier, SK Telecom said.

The result was worse than the average KRW302.8 billion net profit forecast of five analysts recently polled by Dow Jones Newswires.

Operating profit also declined, falling 35.7% to KRW329.4 billion from KRW512.2 billion while sales fell 2.3% to KRW3.930 trillion from KRW4.023 trillion.

SK Telecom cut mobile phone fees late last year at the government’s behest, as part of a broad national campaign to fight inflation.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/koreas-sk-telecom-post-61-net-profit-drop-in-q4-2012-02-01

Newmont hopes to conclude the sale of the undeveloped Felton East/West and Lochbar/Bringalily South tenements in Queensland state’s Clarence-Moreton Basin within the first half of the year, the person said.

Denver, Col.-based Newmont is the world’s second-largest gold miner by output after Barrick Gold Corp. ABX +0.41% , and considers its regional coal assets in Australia to be non-core.

Newmont’s tenements in the Clarence-Moreton Basin lie around 10 kilometers from a rail line with access to Gladstone and Brisbane, and contain thermal coal that could be developed for export if capacity at either port becomes available.

The bituminous coal is low in sulfur, and has an energy content of around 6,000 kilocalories per kilogram after washing. Thermal coal is chiefly used to generate electricity.

Newmont last year appointed Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. to find a buyer for the two coal tenements.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/newmont-reportedly-in-coal-ops-sale-talks-2012-02-01

Last month, India’s cabinet approved the proposal by Disney–which currently owns 50.28% of UTV Software–to buy out other shareholders. Walt Disney reiterated Tuesday it will delist UTV Software, which it said would allow it to integrate UTV’s current operations into the company.

Disney Chairman Andy Bird said increasing the company’s reach in international markets was a cornerstone of its growth strategy.

“This acquisition expands our footprint significantly and allows us to more effectively build, monetize and brand multiplatform franchises, and deliver a rich library of content to the world’s second largest population,” he said.

The company said it would produce both UTV and Disney-branded local films.

UTV is also a major television producer in India with six owned channels and also has a mobile-gaming business.

Disney shares closed Tuesday at $38.90 and weren’t active after hours.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/disney-agrees-to-buy-out-indias-utv-software-2012-01-31

Shares jumped 8.7% after hours Tuesday to $24.79 on the stronger-than-expected results.

The company posted a profit of $16.5 million, or 10 cents a share, up from $16.1 million, also 10 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding stock-based compensation costs and other effects, per-share earnings rose to 14 cents from 11 cents as revenue jumped 29% to $120.9 million.

The company’s upbeat guidance in October had called for a per-share profit of about 12 cents, and $114 million to $116 million in revenue.

Gross margin narrowed to 73.1% from 74.1%.

Billings reached $475.8 million, up 27% from a year ago.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/fortinet-quarterly-profit-up-22-as-billings-jump-2012-01-31

President Shuichi Takayama will hold a news conference the same day to explain the results, a company spokeswoman said.

The Japanese maker of cameras and medical imaging equipment last year restated its accounts for the past five years following revelations of a $1.5 billion loss-hiding scandal.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/olympus-plans-to-report-april-dec-results-feb-13-2012-01-26

The deal comes at a time of steady revenue growth for TransDigm, which makes ignition systems, cockpit-security devices and other aircraft components, as commercial airlines continue to ramp up spending.

Among the company’s recent acquisitions, TransDigm announced an agreement in November to buy Harco Laboratories Inc. for $84 million, increasing its offerings in proprietary components for commercial aircraft, and in August it agreed to buy aircraft-laminates maker Schneller Holdings LLC for about $288.5 million.

Phoenix-based AmSafe makes seatbelts and airbags used on the vast majority of passenger planes. The company generated about $260 million in revenue last year, about 80% of which came from the commercial aerospace and military markets.

“This is another sizable acquisition opportunity that meets our strategic, operational and value-creation criteria,” TransDigm Chairman and Chief Executive W. Nicholas Howley said.

The latest deal also includes substantial tax benefits that TransDigm expects to realize as soon as this year. The aerospace supplier is buying AmSafe from a group controlled by private-equity firms Berkshire Partners LLC and Greenbriar Equity Group LLC.

The deal is expected to close before the end of TransDigm’s fiscal second quarter. The company plans to finance the acquisition with new senior bank debt and cash.

Shares were recently off 0.1% at $96.93 after hours Friday. The stock has climbed 27% over the past year.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/transdigm-to-buy-plane-seatbelt-maker-amsafe-2012-01-21

“Samsung has never reviewed and never will consider plans to take over RIM,” said a Samsung Electronics spokesman.

The comment from the world’s largest technology firm by revenue came after the technology blog Boy Genius Report, which cited anonymous sources, on Tuesday said RIM and Samsung had engaged in talks and that RIM was considering selling all or part of the company to Samsung. A RIM spokeswoman declined to comment.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/samsung-never-reviewed-plans-to-take-over-rim-2012-01-17

Shares slipped 4.6% to $7.05 as the company also said gross margin in the latest period will be lower-than-expected.

Kemet said it now expects revenue of $217 million to $219 million, down from its prior view of $228 million to $238 million. Gross margin is expected to be between 18% and 19%, below its earlier view of 19% to 22%.

Kemet, one of the biggest makers of capacitors, said third-quarter order-intake improved slightly from the prior quarter and said it believes its market share remains unchanged.

The company plans to release its results Feb. 2.

Kemet has been aggressively expanding in alternative energy, aiming to integrate more of its products into solar panels, windmills and hybrid vehicles. That’s a switch from Kemet’s traditional markets such as cellphones, computers and televisions.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/kemet-warns-of-disappointing-third-quarter-sales-2012-01-13

Shares were down 3.8% at $23.15 in after-hours trading. Through the close, the stock has fallen 33% in the last year, worse than the market at large.

Shutterfly said Thursday Chief Financial Officer Mark Rubash would depart Feb. 24 through the company’s year-end accounting close and annual audit process, at which time Chief Executive Jeff Housenbold and Chief Accounting Officer Brian Manca would assume his responsibilities while the company searches for a new CFO. Rubash is leaving to follow a personal interest in technologies with an unnamed early-stage cardiovascular-diagnostic services company.

Housenbold said Shutterfly has a “talented bench of leaders” to rely on following Rubash’s departure.

The company’s photo sharing and printing Web site has grown in popularity. However, last month Shutterfly lowered its fourth-quarter guidance, saying heavy competitor discounting was contributing to a revenue shortfall.

In the third quarter, Shutterfly’s loss widened as significantly higher sales and marketing costs overpowered a 56% jump in revenue.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/shutterfly-cfo-to-depart-for-med-tech-firm-2012-01-12

In its interim update, Chevron said U.S. production in the first two months of the quarter reached about 660,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day, down 5.4% from a year ago and 0.3% below the third quarter.

International output reached 1.979 million barrels of oil equivalent a day, down 5.2% on the year but up 2.2% from the third quarter.

Chevron received $106.41 a barrel on average for crude oil from its U.S. fields, up 34% from a year earlier and up 5.1% compared with the full third quarter. Realized U.S. natural-gas prices averaged $3.71 per thousand cubic feet, up 1.6% from a year ago but 10.4% below the third quarter.

U.S. natural-gas prices continue to wallow at two-year lows as surging production from shale rock formations outpaces demand. The commodity’s benchmark future plummeted to a 28-month low Wednesday after revised weather forecasts indicated a warming trend across much of the nation.

The oil-and-gas producer projected breakeven fourth-quarter earnings in its downstream operations due to lower margins and refinery input volumes. Chevron also closed the sale of a U.K. refinery and other assets to Valero Energy Corp. VLO -1.42% in the third quarter, which makes for a tougher fourth-quarter comparison.

The company said its Gulf Coast refining margins fell sharply in the fourth quarter due to lower crude-input volumes. International refining and marketing margins also fell after the sale of the Pembroke refinery in the U.K. lowered input volumes.

Chevron is slated to report full fourth-quarter results Jan. 27. The company expects to report $250 million to $350 million in after-tax net charges in the fourth quarter.

Shares fell 1.9% to $105.68 after hours. The stock is up 17% over the past 12 months.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/chevron-warns-of-lower-fourth-quarter-earnings-2012-01-11