Stocks in the news: Caterpillar, Coca-Cola, Texas Instruments

The following post rounds up the companies making headlines today:

Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) said Tuesday its second-quarter profit tumbled 66 percent as revenue dropped 41 percent as the recession continued to erode sales of its machines and engines. But the company boosted its 2009 profit forecast, saying it is seeing signs of stabilization. Caterpillar had crushed estimates for earnings of 22 cents per share when it reported 72 cents per share excluding items. Shares jumped over 12 percent in pre-market trading.

Coca-Cola (KO) on Tuesday posted a 43 percent increase in second-quarter profit mainly due to charges in last year's quarter, but it still beat earnings expectations as rapid overseas growth helped offset a sales decline caused by the stronger dollar.