It says the unit's resilience in tough times helped boost the company's second-quarter profit 22%. Oil prices are soaring. Home foreclosures are rampant. And many think a recession is at hand. So, where are people heading?

Sales of 'Bee Movie,' 'Shrek the Third' and earlier releases help the studio beat Wall Street expectations. DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. said Tuesday that its first-quarter profit surged 69% on solid DVD sales for "Bee Movie," "Shrek the Third" and its earlier films.

NEW YORK -- JPMorgan Chase & Co., which recently scooped up the toppling investment bank Bear Stearns Cos., said Wednesday that problems with mortgages and other loans cut its own first-quarter profit in half.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Wells Fargo & Co.'s first-quarter profit fell 11 percent as the nation's fifth-largest bank wrestled with rising loan losses and braced for more trouble ahead.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Bancorp (USB.N), the sixth-largest U.S. bank, said on Tuesday first-quarter profit fell 4 percent, but results topped forecasts as increases in credit card and mortgage banking revenue helped offset weaker credit quality tied to the housing crisis.

BERLIN -- Insurer Allianz SE said Thursday fourth-quarter profit slipped by nearly 52 percent from a year ago, dragged down by its banking business and lower contributions from its insurance operations.

AutoNation Inc., the largest U.S. automotive retailer, sees its fourth-quarter profit slide 31% from a year ago, stung by the home-mortgage meltdown in California and Florida.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - American Express Co (AXP.N) on Monday said fourth-quarter profit dropped 10 percent, and its revenue missed analyst forecasts as customers defaulted more often, fanning worries the credit card and travel services company might struggle as the U.S. economy weakens.

NEW YORK -- The Bank of New York Mellon Corp.'s fourth-quarter profit tumbled 68 percent due to its exposure to assets backed by mortgages and a tough comparison to last year, when the bank gained $1.4 billion after unloading its retail operations.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N), the No. 2 U.S. mortgage lender, said on Wednesday fourth-quarter profit fell 38 percent, the first decline in more than six years, as more people missed payments on mortgages and home equity loans.