Stocks in the news: Apple, Caterpillar, Coca-Cola, Pfizer

Apple (AAPL) late Monday reported sales and profit that trounced estimates, sending its shares to all-time highs. iPhone and Mac sales hit record, with Macs sales jumping 17 percent, but iPhone sales held back. DailfyFinance's Alex Salkever thinks Apple's "easy days could soon be over." Meanwhile, 9to5Mac speculates about an unusually large freight costs during the quarter and whether it's in preparation of a mystery product -- not iPhone. AAPL shares jumped over 6 percent in pre-market trade to around $202 a share.

Caterpillar (CAT) said Tuesday its third-quarter profit tumbled 53 percent to $404 million, or 64 cents per share, as customers demand for its machines remained sluggish. But the company said the latest quarter was its low point in the recession and raised its profit outlook for 2009 and better demand next year. Shares were about 5.5 percent higher ahead of the bell.