Yum Brands, the parent of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC, posted higher third-quarter earnings on Tuesday, but forecast that U.S. profits will decline about 8 percent for the full year.

The world's second biggest brewer InBev expects high single-digit revenue growth and a slight contraction of its EBITDA margin in the third quarter, the company said in a statement on Friday, sending shares lower.

U.S. chicken producer Pilgrim's Pride said on Monday it received a temporary waiver on a credit covenant and retained advisers to review its operations and refinancing strategy, but investors remained uneasy and sent its shares down 13 percent.

InBev shareholders voted in favor of buying U.S rival Anheuser-Busch on Monday in a $52 billion deal to create the global leader in brewing.

Top U.S. chicken producer Pilgrim's Pride said it would post a significant quarterly loss and expected to be out of compliance with a credit covenant as a result, sending its shares down more than 40 percent.

New Zealand dairy export giant Fonterra Co-operative Group slashed the value of its Chinese investment by nearly 70% after it was caught up in a scandal over contaminated baby milk.

Oktoberfest fans may be gathering in Germany for a feast to forget the turmoil in world financial markets, but the traditionally defensive beer sector looks unlikely to offer investors a safe haven this time, analysts told CNBC.com.

In tough times, will consumers still love the world's oldest drink? Vote in our poll:

Even in times of global financial downturn, you can be sure of one thing people will continue to buy and consume: beer. It would take more than rising commodity costs and plummeting stocks to quench the hardy revelers  of these 20 nations. (Ranked per capita.)

Times are tough for Japanese brewers as the country's increasingly health-conscious youth lose their taste for lager and cut back their drinking amid a gloomy economic outlook.

ConAgra Foods posted a higher-than-expected quarterly profit Thursday, but cut its full-year outlook, citing inflation and higher investments for some of its brands.

American International Group will be replaced by Kraft Foods in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Dow Jones Indexes said on Thursday.

General Mills posted a higher-than-expected quarterly profit and raised its full-year forecast on Wednesday as consumers bought more cake mixes and frozen pizzas to save money.

The Bond kings react to the Fed leaving the interest rate unchanged at 2 percent, while Morgan Stanley reports strong earnings numbers. Following are today's top videos: