11.   Australian stocks fell after two days of gains as resource companies such as Broken Hill Proprietary Co. dropped amid concern declining metal prices will reduce earnings.

12.   Boeing Co. faced a strike at midnight, which if prolonged would reduce current earnings -- though it might simply just push them into the future.

13.   A dilutive acquisition would reduce earnings per share, hurting the stock price as investor turned to stocks that provided more immediate returns.

14.   A recap, short for recapitalization, allows firms to sidestep rules that have required them to reduce earnings of companies they buy.

15.   A weaker currency makes stocks less valuable and it makes more difficult for companies to pay for imported raw materials and dollar debts, which reduces earnings.

16.   A weaker currency makes stocks less valuable and it more difficult for companies to pay for imported raw materials and dollar debts, which reduce earnings.

17.   A stronger dollar reduces foreign earnings when they are translated back into dollars.

18.   A stronger peso may make Mexican vacations less attractive to foreign tourists, which could reduce earnings for Cintra, the parent of both Mexicana and Aeromexico airlines.

19.   A weaker U.S. currency reduces the earnings for British companies when profits are brought home.

20.   AIG plans to use the pooling method of accounting in the merger, which shields the merged company from some one-time charges that would reduce future earnings.