Third-quarter profits at ING's banking operations soared 45 percent, to 901 million euros ($1.01 billion), and the insurance division recorded a 5 percent increase in profits, to 977 million euros ($1.15 billion), in the same period of 2004.

The main income earner in insurance was ING's Insurance Americas unit, which saw profits rise 44 percent, driven by strong sales of U.S. life insurance policies and Canadian non-life products. In banking, income from ING Direct online activities jumped 57 percent.

DALLAS - Dell Inc.'s quarterly income disappointed Wall Street for a second straight quarter Thursday, as the world's largest personal computer maker saw its income dip 28 percent on repair and restructuring charges.

Dell said sales came in at a company record of $13.9 billion, up 11 percent from last year's $12.5 billion, but below its previous forecast range of $14.1 billion to $14.5 billion. Analysts had forecast $14.3 billion for the quarter that ended Oct. 28.

MINNEAPOLIS - Target Corp., the nation's No. 2 discount retailer, on Thursday reported an 18 percent drop in third-quarter earnings, compared with a year earlier, when a one-time gain inflated its profits, but it still beat Wall Street expectations. The company's shares soared 4 percent.

Earnings for the quarter that ended Oct. 29 fell to $435 million, or 49 cents a share, from $531 million, or 59 cents a share, the year before, when the sale of its Mervyn's chain boosted earnings by $203 million.

Revenue grew 12 percent, to $12.21 billion, from $10.91 billion, driven by a 5.9 percent gain in sales at stores open at least one year and credit card profits that jumped $38 million, or 31 percent.

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