Among the earnings stories for Wednesday, Oct. 17, from The Associated Press:
_ U.S. Bancorp's net income leapt 14 percent in the third quarter as the regional bank made more loans to companies and people seeking mortgages.
_ Northern Trust Corp. said its third-quarter net income rose 5 percent due to higher fees from clients for managing their money.
_ BlackRock Inc. said its third-quarter net income rose 7.9 percent, boosted by an influx of investor cash into its low-cost iShares exchange-traded funds.
_ Knoll Inc. said its third-quarter net income fell 34 percent as revenue declined on weak demand.
_ Water-heater maker A.O. Smith's net income dropped 80 percent from last year's third quarter, when it gained from an asset sale.