AMAZON.COM, $78.31, symbol AMZN on Nasdaq, jumped almost $8 this week after the company reported strong revenues and profits in the three months ended June 30, 2008. Revenues rose 40.8% in the latest quarter, to $4.1 billion from $2.9 billion a year earlier. Excluding the favorable impact of foreign currency gains, revenues were up 35%. International sales from Amazon’s UK, German, Japanese, French and Chinese sites rose 47%, or 34% before foreign exchange gains. Earnings rose 202.3%, to $158 million or $0.38 a share, from $78 million or $0.19 a share. The latest quarter included a gain of $53 million on the sale of the company’s European DVD rental assets....

KRAFT FOODS INC. $29.38, New York symbol KFT, has finalized its agreement to merge its Post cereals business with Ralcorp Holdings Inc (New York symbol RAH). Kraft is now giving its own investors an opportunity to exchange some or all of their shares for a holding in Ralcorp. The company designed the offer so that its investors get to acquire Ralcorp at a 10% discount. Kraft believes the swap will be tax-deferred, but the IRS has yet to make a final ruling. Kraft will limit the exchange ratio to 0.6613 of a Ralcorp share for each Kraft share tendered. Kraft will calculate the final exchange ratio before the offer expires on August 4, 2008. Following the exchange, Kraft investors will own roughly 54% of Ralcorp....

AMERIGO RESOURCES, $1.34, symbol ARG on Toronto, has a contract with Codelco, Chile’s state-owned copper producer, to process the tailings from El Teniente, the world’s largest underground copper mine. Tailings are the waste rock produced in the mining process. Amerigo treats the tailings to extract copper and molybdenum. Amerigo rose this week after reporting lower power costs at El Teniente for the three months ended June 30, 2008. Electricity prices fell 24.7%, to $0.2462 per kilowatt hour from $0.3268, due to higher rainfall and additional hydro-electric sources. (All figures except share price in U.S. dollars.) That’s after Amerigo’s first quarter electricity costs rose 285%, to $13.9 million from $3.6 million. Amerigo has bought two 10-megawatt electricity generators in order to become energy self-sufficient. It expects these to begin generating power later this year. Labor troubles at El Teniente are now settled, but disruptions in the supply of tailings in April and May hurt Amerigo’s second quarter production. Copper production fell 28.6%, to 7.1 million pounds from 9.9 million pounds a year earlier. Molybdenum production fell 27.9%, to 147,508 pounds from 204,647 pounds. However, production should recover in the second half of 2008....

ANHEUSER-BUSCH COMPANIES INC. $67.11, New York symbol BUD, has accepted a $70.00-a-share all-cash takeover offer from Belgian brewer InBev NV. The stock is trading for roughly 4% below the offer, which indicates that investors feel a higher bid is unlikely. InBev aims to complete the takeover by the end of this year. Anheuser-Busch stockholders should hang on to their shares, and tender them to get the full $70.00 without paying brokerage fees. WELLS FARGO & CO. $27.86, New York symbol WFC, jumped 30% this week after it reported second-quarter earnings that exceeded consensus forecasts of $0.50 a share. In the three months ended June 30, 2008, earnings per share fell 20.9%, to $0.53 from $0.67 a year earlier. Most of the drop was due to higher loan loss provisions and writedowns. Revenue increased 16.2%, to $11.5 billion from $9.9 billion, thanks to strong gains at its retail banking, credit card and wealth management businesses. The company also raised its quarterly dividend by 9.7%, from $0.31 a share to $0.34. The new annual rate of $1.36 yields 4.9%....

RUBY TUESDAY, $6.41, symbol RT on New York, rose over 18% this week after it reported fiscal fourth-quarter earnings that exceeded consensus expectations. In the three months ended June 3, 2008, earnings per share fell 41.3%, to $0.27 from $0.46 a year earlier. However, consensus forecasts were for earnings of just $0.20 a share. Sales fell 4.3%, to $341.4 million from $356.8 million. Ruby Tuesday plans to close 15 company-owned restaurants as their leases expire. The company owns and operates 721 Ruby Tuesday restaurants. Domestic franchisees operate an additional 170 restaurants, and international franchisees run a further 54 restaurants....

ANHEUSER-BUSCH COMPANIES INC. $66.50, New York symbol BUD, jumped 9% on Friday on reports that Belgian brewer InBev NV has raised its takeover offer, from $65.00 a share to $70.00. InBev may also try to secure a friendly takeover deal, as well as drop its attempt to replace Anheuser-Busch’s directors with its own slate. Anheuser-Busch is still a hold. GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. $27.66, New York symbol GE, plans to spin off its Consumer & Industrial businesses to its stockholders as a single company. These businesses make household appliances, light bulbs and electrical equipment....

GENERAL MILLS INC. $61 (New York symbol GIS) has raised its quarterly dividend 9.6%, from $0.3925 a share to $0.43. The new annual rate of $1.72 yields 2.8%. Buy. TUPPERWARE BRANDS CORP. $36 (New York symbol TUP) uses resin from oil to make its plastic food containers. So far, the company’s low-cost direct marketing force has helped it offset rising oil prices. As well, strong demand for beauty products continues to fuel earnings. However, Tupperware’s large overseas operations (85% of sales) make it vulnerable to any rise in the U.S. dollar. Hold. CANON INC. ADRs $51 (New York symbol CAJ) earned $0.85 per ADR in the three months ended March 31, 2008, down 15% from $1.00 a year earlier. Most of the drop was due to a change in accounting policy, unfavorable foreign currency rates and higher raw material costs. However, demand for Canon’s core products such as digital cameras and printers is still strong. Buy.

J.P. MORGAN CHASE & CO. $38 (New York symbol JPM; Income Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 3.4 billion; Market cap: $129.2 billion; WSSF Rating: Above average) provides a wide range of banking and other financial services in the United States and over 60 other countries. Morgan recently completed its takeover of troubled investment broker Bear Stearns Cos. Inc. for $1.5 billion in stock. Bear Stearns held about $30 billion in illiquid securities. However, Morgan is only liable for potential losses on the first $1 billion. The Federal Reserve has agreed to cover any losses on the remaining $29 billion.

Quick takeover adds risk

Due to Bear Stearns’ dire circumstances, Morgan had little time to perform the usual due diligence needed for most acquisitions. This increases the chance of an unpleasant surprise. However, Morgan’s experience absorbing other big takeovers in the past few years should help cut its integration risk....

FAIR ISAAC CORP. $22 (New York symbol FIC; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 48.6 million; Market cap: $1.1 billion; WSSF Rating: Average) has dropped its lawsuit against credit bureau company Equifax. In 2006, Fair Isaac sued the three major U.S. credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) for anti-trust violations. The three credit bureau companies teamed together to create VantageScore credit scoring software, which competed with Fair Isaac’s FICO scoring software. Fair Isaac is still suing Experian and TransUnion. As part of the settlement, Fair Isaac has formed a new partnership with Equifax. The partnership will combine Fair Isaac’s expertise in credit scoring software with Equifax’s consumer credit data to produce new credit analytics programs. Under this new partnership, Equifax will sell FICO 08, the latest version of Fair Isaac’s scoring software, to its customers in 2009....

CINTAS CORP. $26 (Nasdaq symbol CTAS; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 153.7 million; Market cap: $4.0 billion; WSSF Rating: Average) operates mainly in North America. The company now plans to offer uniform rental and other business services in Europe, Latin America and Asia. This expansion will make it easier for Cintas to serve its clients with international operations. This expansion also cuts its exposure to a slowing U.S. economy. Cintas is a buy. BRIGGS & STRATTON CORP. $14 (New York symbol BGG; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 49.6 million; Market cap: $694.4 million; WSSF Rating: Above average) has agreed to buy Victa Lawncare Pty. Ltd. of Australia, which makes lawnmowers and other outdoor power equipment. The $22 million price is equal to 59% of the $37.1 million or $0.75 a share that Briggs earned in the three months ended March 31, 2008....