RNA drug developer Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. reported a deeper third-quarter loss on Wednesday, primarily due to increased spending on stock based compensation and legal costs.

Stocks retreated Tuesday after several earnings reports beat expectations but economic numbers missed their targets.  The Dow shed more than 50 points, or 0.5 percent, but still held above 10,000. The S&P and Nasdaq each lost about 0.6 percent.

Stocks retreated Tuesday after several earnings reports beat expectations but economic numbers missed their targets.  Apple and Caterpillar surged after their earnings blew past forecasts.

Futures were poised for a modestly higher open on the strength of more earnings surprises from some of Wall Street's leading companies.

What follows is a roundup of corporate earnings reports for Tuesday, Oct. 20.

A bitter Congressional fight over the cost of superexpensive biotechnology drugs has come down to a single, hotly debated number: How many years should makers of those drugs be exempt from generic competition?