The profit decrease in the second quarter came after two straight quarters of rising profit.

FORBES: Earnings Preview: Abbott Laboratories

The profit decrease in the third quarter came after two straight quarters of rising profit.

FORBES: Earnings Preview: Agilent Technologies

The decrease in profit in the third quarter broke a streak of three consecutive quarters of year-over-year profit increases.

FORBES: Earnings Preview: W.W. Grainger

The decrease in profit in the second quarter broke a streak of three consecutive quarters of year-over-year profit increases.

FORBES: Earnings Preview: McDonald's

The decrease in profit in the first quarter broke a streak of three consecutive quarters of year-over-year profit increases.

FORBES: Earnings Preview: Symantec

The decrease in profit in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year broke a streak of three consecutive quarters of year-over-year profit increases.

FORBES: Earnings Preview: Zions Bancorporation

This caused an increase in its costs and decrease in its profit margins.

FORBES: Aeropostale Resurrection Taking Stock To $19

General Electric topped both sales and profit expectations, showing a 21% gain in earnings per share on a 4% decrease in revenues, associated mainly with selling its NBC Universal unit to Comcast.

FORBES: Baidu On Deck As Caterpillar Comes Up Short, McDonald's And Oil Services Sizzle