09:58 AM EST - Loblaw Companies Ltd. : posted Friday a 17.6 percent improvement in second-quarter net earnings. The Toronto-based company said it earned $140 million, up from a year-ago $119 million. Net earnings per share were 51 cents - ahead of analyst expectations of a 50 cents per share profit according to Thomson Financial and compared with 43 cents in the same period of 2007. Loblaw Companies Ltd.
shares T.L are trading down 55 cents at $29.82.
