Some analysts expect the diminished sales to result in a profit decline of 5 percent to 10 percent for the year.

But the share offering was delayed because of the deterioration in financial markets and Goldman's own profit decline.

The old one will try to stem its profit decline at home.

Security analysts had been expecting Ford to post its first quarterly profit decline in three years.

It was the fourth consecutive quarterly profit decline for Caterpillar.

Changing it probably would reduce the scale of their profit decline.

The effect of the sharp corporate profit decline, both before and after the attacks, goes beyond the companies and their investors.

"Clearly, I am disappointed in our gross profit decline," she told analysts on a conference call yesterday.

The company's oil-and-gas exploration and production operations accounted for most of the profit decline.

For most companies, the profit decline continued into the first quarter of this year and capital spending remained low.