One of the biggest disappointments this earnings season came with the latest results from Dell Inc. (NASDAQ:DELL), which showed that the company's profit dropped by a massive 79% during the fiscal first quarter (ending on May 3).

In a May 9 letter to Dell's board, Icahn and Southeastern Asset Management, two of the company's largest shareholders, proposed an alternative to a buyout deal led by founder Michael Dell and private equity firm Silver Lake Partners. Under the Icahn ...

Editor's Note: Related tickers: Dell Inc. (NASDAQ:DELL), VIVUS, Inc. (NASDAQ:VVUS), The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG).

Stocks that are expected to trade actively in U.S. markets on Friday include: Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), The Gap Inc. (NYSE:GPS), Dish Network Corp (NASDAQ:DISH), Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:S), Abercrombie & Fitch Co.

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ:DELL) shareholders have witnessed an increase in support from the world's most elite money managers of late.

The Round Rock company would remain publicly held under the Icahn plan, would he told the Dell board would be financed by about $5.2 billion from Dell Inc.'s cash and another $5.2 billion in outside borrowing. The special committee to Dell's board ...

The biggest new holdings are Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE:HLF) and CVR Refining, L.P. Other new holdings of interest include Nuance Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:NUAN) and Dell Inc. (NASDAQ:DELL). Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE:HLF), up 10% over the past year, ...

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ:DELL) is one of the world's largest manufacturers of computers, and also engages in the production of peripherals, servers and other IT-related equipment.

�Dell's results are heavily skewed by a combination of headline-grabbing PC statistics and the significant investments being made in the future of the business,� the company wrote in a Wednesday filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The dismal performance announced Thursday actually might work to the advantage of Dell Inc.'s board. That's because Dell's directors are trying to persuade shareholders to accept a US$24.4 billion buyout offer from CEO Michael Dell and other investors.