Earnings Preview: AET, COL, XOM, LMT

Here's our pick of the top earnings reports to be released today:

Aetna Inc(NYSE:AET), the health insurance company, is to announce its earnings today in what should be another positive report out of the industry. Individual patient's use of healthcare facilities has dropped in the first quarter for most of the firms resulting in lower costs to insurance companies. Analysts expected Aetna Inc. to take in $8.61 billion in revenue and transmute that into earnings per share of $1.39. The firm's report last year had them earning $1.50 per share on revenues of about $8.39 billion.

Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:COL) is expected...