Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), a broadband and wireless provided, posted Q3 earnings that fell short of forecasts, though revenue came in line and it reiterated its forecast for top line growth of 4% in 2014. Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) earned $0.89 per share, compared with $0.78 cents per share, or $0.77 on an adjusted basis a year ago. Analysts were looking for $0.91, according to Capital IQ. Total operating revenues rose 4.3% to $31.6 billion, in line with forecasts. In the wireless segment, revenues were $21.8 billion in third-quarter 2014, up 7% year over year. Total revenue in the wireline business was $9.6 billion, down 0.8% year over year. Verizon continues to target consolidated top-line growth of 4% in 2014.The Travelers Companies Inc (NYSE:TRV) reported Tuesday Q3 net income $919 million, or $2.69 EPS diluted, compared to net income of $864 million, or $2.30 diluted EPS, in Q3 a year earlier. The EPS was up 17.0% YOY, and net income was up 6.4%, due to a large declines in shares outstanding. TRV repurchased $751 million in shares, during the quarter. Operating earnings were $2.61 per share, up from $2.31 per share last year. A consensus of analysts covered by Capital IQ had forecast TRV Q3 EPS of $2.29 a share. Travelers Companies Inc (NYSE:TRV) credited the earnings gains to higher investment income and lower catastrophe losses. TRV reported the gains were partially offset by lower net favorable prior year reserve developments, and slightly lower underlying underwriting gains, due to higher non-catastrophe weather-related losses.Omeros Corporation (NASDAQ:OMER) said it was suspending a trial of its drug candidate to treat schizophrenia and Huntington's disease while it evaluates an observation from a non-clinical study in rats. The observation occurred in several of the rats receiving the study's maximum dose of OMS824, which resulted in OMS824 free-plasma concentrations higher than those that have been measured in patients. Non-human primates exposed to plasma concentrations equal to those in the rat demonstrated no findings similar to the observation reported from the rat study. OMS824 has been well tolerated in all human clinical trials.The Food and Drug Administration has requested that Omeros Corporation (NASDAQ:OMER) further evaluate the nonclinical data from the 13-week rat study as well as nonclinical studies that did not yield the observation in order to characterize it more fully prior to reinitiating the clinical trial. "Based on currently available data, we do not believe that the observation in the rats is caused by OMS824. We will work with the FDA and look forward to continuing the Phase 2 Huntington's trial," chairman and CEO Gregory A. Demopulos said. The shares recently traded at $12.95 with a 52-week spread of $6.92 - $18.80.
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