ExxonMobil, the world's largest listed oil company, today reported Q4 net profits of $8.42bn.

This represents an increase from Q3 earnings of $5.68bn, which were especially inflated by rising oil prices.

Despite slowed productivity in 2004, the company still reported full year net profits of $25.3bn for 2004.

Although general market expectations were surpassed, the company warned that rising steel prices, and further deep-water exploration, meant that the company would be faced with increased cost pressures over 2005.

However, productivity levels are expected to be increased, as ExxonMobil open up new fields in West Africa, Qatar, Russia, and the Gulf of Mexico.

The U.S. Department of Commerce has announced that growth in personal income for December was mostly accounted for by a large dividend paid out to Microsoft stocholders.

Microsoft made a one-time exceptional dividend payment of $32 billion, pushing an an otherwise growth rate of 0.6% for December to 3.7% for the month.

The pay-out was also credited with a specific 0.8% rise in consumer spending towards Christmas.

Microsoft has some of the most widely held stocks of any company, and analysts predict that much of the dividend will be used to purchase additional stocks on the market - especially from Microsoft.

Wall Street Journal publisher, Dow Jones, reported a loss of net profit in Q4 by nearly 20%, as b2b advertising revenues continue to fall.

Although the company was upbeat about "continued momemtum", morning trade on the NY stock exchange left shares of Dow Jones down $1.06 at $39.16.

DirecTV, the satellite channel owned by Rupert Murdoch, narrowed losses for the year at $283m, down on $310m a year ago.

However, reports that costs for winning new subscribers were rising, combined with higher churn, left the markets little choice but to reduce the value of the company by 3%.

The company continues to add over 400,000 customers per quarter, and now has nearly 14 million in total.

Telecoms company Verizon announced strong Q4 earning and growth, reflecting a strong year of trading for the company.

Verizon Wireless, its mobile joint venture with Vodafone of the UK, is targeted as the key engine of Verizon's current success, which saw Q4 income of $3bn - a sea-change on the previous year's loss of $1.5bn over the same period.

EDIT: Verizon shortly after announced a major partnership with Microsoft for the development of internet TV broadcasting - more here: Verizon broadens Microsoft hold on internet broadcasting

South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) are probing US Equity firm, Warburg Pincus, over suspicions of insider trading over shares in LG Card.

Warburg Pincus had originally held a 20% share in LG Card until October 2003, when it sold most of it's main shareholding. Shortly afterwards, LG Card was pushed close to banruptcy after a consumer spending bubble burst.

At the time of sale, Hwang Sung-jin was leading Warburg Pincus's Korean investments and also an outside director of LG Card.

Although Warburg Pincus deny wrongdoing, the FSS is investigating suggestions of insider trading.

This case follows a series of high-profile deals that have seen Western-backed investment groups making massive profits off the back of sales of Korean interests.

However, since private equity funds from foreign investors became a mainstay of the Korean corporate scene after economic crisis in 1997, some investors have suggested the current FSS investigation may be as much for political posturing, rather than any real evidence of manipulation of stock markets.