The earnings news was mostly good for subprime lenders during the second quarter, as a strong housing market and low interest rates led to record profits for many lenders. That was the case at New Century Financial, which reported company-best net earnings of $42.9 million, up significantly from the $9.9 million it earned during last year’s second quarter. Revenues also rose sharply, to $140.9 million, from $64.8 million