Main Street's Report Card: UPS, Coca-Cola, Boeing and Whirlpool Show Where America's Economy Is Strong and Where It Is Hurting

Tuesday's earnings from some of America's best-known companies told a split story. Shippers and soft drinks raised their outlooks. A storied appliance maker cut its forecast and announced more price increases.

By Clara Hughes

Forget artificial intelligence for a moment. On Tuesday, some of the oldest names in American business reported their results, and together they offered a revealing snapshot of the real economy one week before the midterm elections. The verdict was mixed. United Parcel Service and Coca-Cola raised their full-year forecasts. Boeing showed signs of recovery despite another loss. Whirlpool, the Michigan appliance maker, posted a loss, cut its sales outlook and said it would raise prices again. UPS: fewer packages, more profit UPS, the Atlanta-based delivery giant, raised its forecasts for the year, and its shares rose 1.6% in premarket trading, CNBC reported. The company now expects full-year revenue of about $92.6 billion, up from its previous forecast of $91.2 billion. It projected fourth-quarter revenue of $25.7 billion, CNBC said. UPS also raised its full-year adjusted earnings