Among the earnings stories for Thursday, May 1, from AP Financial News:

Merchant power generator NRG Energy Inc. said Thursday higher fuel costs and lower margins in its Northeast and Texas regions cut first-quarter profit 26 percent, well below analysts' estimates.

Moody's Investors Service raised its outlook on NRG Energy Inc. to stable from negative, citing anticipated stable cash flow.

In sectors of the industrial economy, especially those directly affected by growing global demand, orders cannot be processed fast enough, hiring is rampant, products and services are being cranked out in record amounts and stocks are responding.

Nuclear power is making a comeback in the US as the high cost of fossil fuels and concern about global warming make uranium-based generation a more attractive option, but the industry still faces regulatory and financial hurdles as well as lingering doubts about safety.