Jump in Whopper sales can't lift Burger King

Rising Whopper sales failed to translate into bottom-line dollars for Burger King Holdings Corp. in the fiscal second quarter, the fast-food chain said Thursday.

The nation's No. 2 hamburger chain reported that profit fell and missed Wall Street's expectations by 4 cents per share due to the effect of a stronger dollar.

The company said the currency translation hurt profit by 5 cents per share in the quarter, which ended Dec. 31. The company earned $44 million, or 33 cents per share, a 10.2 percent dip from earnings of $49 million, or 36 cents per share, a year earlier.

Analysts, on average, had expected Burger King to earn 37 cents per share, according to Reuters Estimates.

Revenue rose 3.4 percent to $634 million from $613 million.

NEW YORK

Reports of new rules boost financial stocks

Financial stocks rebounded Thursday after reports surfaced that the government may move to alter, or even suspend, accounting rules that force banks to value assets at current market prices.

Morgan Stanley was among the sector's biggest advancers, climbing $1.18, or 5.4 percent, to close at $23.19, after earlier falling as low as $21.52.

On Thursday, reports that the Treasury Department could tweak or even suspend the rules as part of its overhaul of the remaining bailout package pushed depressed bank stocks higher.

Bank of America Corp. jumped 14 cents, or 2.98 percent, to end at $4.84, after earlier falling as much as 20 percent.

Citigroup Inc. shares gained 4 cents, or 1.15 percent, to close at $3.53. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. advanced $4.88, or 5.55 percent, to $92.85.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. gained $1, or 3.47 percent, to $29.83, while U.S. Bancorp rose 82 cents, or 5.79 percent, to $14.99. JPMorgan Chase & Co. rose 50 cents, or 2.08 percent, to $24.54.

Wells Fargo & Co. bucked the trend, falling $1.18, or 6.78 percent, to $16.27.

Gates money manager talks with AutoNation

Cascade Investment LLC, a money manager for billionaire Bill Gates, has been holding talks with the management of AutoNation Inc. and may also seek discussions with other shareholders.

Discussions with investors may concern "the strategic direction" of AutoNation and "opportunities to enhance shareholder value," Cascade said in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

Cascade and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust own a combined 21.6 million shares, or 12.2 percent, of AutoNation, the largest publicly traded car retailer in the U.S.