Sony Corp. (NYSE ADR: SNE) is facing the first consecutive annual loss of its 63-year history.

Oil Takes a Spill; SEC Expands Madoff Investigation; Sony Could Lose Largest Game Publisher; Nasdaq Outpaces Other Indices; Walgreens Misses Street Estimates; U.S. Car Brands Close Gap with Toyota Quality…

The video game industry has a reputation for being recession proof. And soaring sales this year suggest there are some great profit opportunities in the sector. That’s why the Money Morning team have created this comprehensive guide to virtual investing.

Crude Gains on Lower Supply; Comcast Earnings Boost; Garmin Shares Plunge on Lowered Outlook; United’s Pilot Trouble; Private Employers Add Jobs; Nissan Buys Out TN Plants; ArcelorMittal’s Strong Second Quarter; Nintendo Brings Its A-Game

• Crude oil for September delivery gained $4.58 yesterday (Wednesday) to close at $126.77 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, MarketWatch reported, after the Energy Information Administration announced crude supplies fell 100,000 barrels to 295.2 million barrels for the week ended July 25.

• Comcast Corp. (CMCSA), the largest U.S. cable television provider, announced yesterday (Wednesday) that net profit in the second quarter rose to $632 million, or 21 cents a share, from $588 million, or 19 cents a share, in the prior year, Reuters reported. Comcast stock gained 89 cents, a…

Editor’s Note: ETFs are revolutionizing financial markets, according to Money Morning’s Horacio Marquez. They allow investors to follow global trends without having to select individual stocks. They provide easy access to otherwise impossible-to-reach profit plays. And, by grouping stocks in a fund, they significantly reduce systematic risk in the market. For these reasons, Horacio says ETFs are the best way for investors to play today’s global trends…

Editors Note:  Money Morning’s Investment Director Keith Fitz-Gerald says increased wealth and Western influence are having a major impact on the local diet in places like Japan and China. As a result, people are getting bigger. As obesity becomes a social issue, companies will be scrambling to join the new health movement. This, says Keith, will create great opportunities for investors…

Typically, when investors hear “pink sheet stocks,” they think of tiny companies, more often bad than good, and for the analysts out there, it means a ton of work lies ahead of them.

There’s an old adage in business that big contracts command big headlines. But bigger isn’t always better. All too often, companies that focus only on big contracts discover there are very lean stretches between contract awards. And that affects the predictability of their earnings.