Among the earnings stories for Thursday, Dec. 4, from AP Financial News:

Shares of AeroVironment Inc. rose Thursday after the maker of unmanned aircraft systems reported strong fiscal second-quarter profit and reaffirmed its full-year outlook.

Shares of Synopsys Inc. surged Thursday after the software maker posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings and projected sales and profit will meet Wall Street estimates for the first quarter of 2009.

Fear of a deepening recession is spreading throughout corner offices across corporate America, prompting chief executives in all sectors to slash thousands of jobs as they scramble to find ways for their companies to survive the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Movado Group Inc. said Thursday that its profit of fiscal 2009 dropped 41 percent in its third quarter and the watch maker plans another round of cost-cutting actions to cope with a drop in retail sales.

GSI Group Inc. said Thursday it will restate its financial results for the first and second quarters of fiscal 2008 after finding errors in accounting for revenue.

Copart Inc., a junk-car auction service, said late Wednesday its fiscal first-quarter profit edged down slightly on a drop in United Kingdom revenue stemming from currency fluctuations.

Gerber Scientific Inc., which manufactures equipment used in making signs, specialty graphics, apparel and optical lenses, said Thursday its profit more than doubled in the fiscal second quarter due to a one-time tax benefit.

Defense and transportation company Cubic Corp. said Thursday its fiscal fourth-quarter profit tumbled 26 percent, partially as a result of a restructuring charge.

Toll Brothers, the largest U.S. luxury home builder, said its quarterly loss narrowed slightly as it wrote down less inventory, but warned that its 2009 revenue will be significantly below that of 2008 as the protracted U.S. housing slump continues.

Among the earnings stories for Thursday, Dec. 4, from AP Financial News:

Layne Christensen Co., which provides drilling and construction services, said Thursday its third-quarter profit rose 23 percent as record revenue offset higher costs.

Sanderson Farms Inc. said Thursday it lost nearly $52 million in its fiscal fourth quarter, hurt by declining chicken prices and some inventory adjustments.

Williams-Sonoma Inc. reported a fiscal third-quarter loss Thursday, as declining same-store sales and weakness across its brands dragged on results.

Merck & Co, which has been hobbled by declining sales of several of its biggest medicines, said on Thursday that it expected 2009 earnings and revenue below Wall Street forecasts.