CARPENTERis one of those companies that has seen acceleration in earnings. In late January, the steel and iron company delivered a solid fiscal second quarter. Earnings per share of $1.17 topped the consensus estimate by 8% and eclipsed the year-ago total. Noting that it was a record quarter, Anne Stevens, chairman, president and chief executive officer, said, "We continued to experience strong demand from the energy market, which also contributed to the 33% jump in our international sales. Growth in these markets helped offset domestic weakness in our economically sensitive markets, including automotive, consumer, and industrial.