International Business News - M http://www.ibtimes.com All articles are copyrighted by IBTimes.com 400 100 http://www.ibtimes.com/ http://www.ibtimes.com/images/top_logo_ibt2_3.gif The lower profits and muted outlooks this week from retailers such as J.C. Penney Co., Macy's Inc. and Nordstrom Inc. are heightening concerns among investors that shoppers' focus on necessities and buying at discounters could linger well into next year. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080815/retailers-face-frugal-shoppers-through-2009.htm Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:42:49 EDT Second-quarter profits from major retailers underscore a widening gap between low-price operators and high-end apparel sellers as consumers focus on necessities and avoid discretionary splurges. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080815/gap-widens-between-discounters-department-stores.htm Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:38:47 EDT Retail sales drop for first time in 5 months WASHINGTON (AP)--Retail sales delivered the weakest performance in five months in July as shoppers shunned autos while they paid more for gas. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080813/business-highlights.htm Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:34:54 EDT LOWER OUTLOOKS: Macy's Inc. posted a lower second-quarter profit and warned that its full-year earnings will be below expectations. Meanwhile, Liz Claiborne Inc., a key supplier to the department store chain, pared down its own profit forecast. The Commerce Department also announced that retail sales in July were the weakest since February. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080813/lower-outlook-from-macys-presages-tough-fall.htm Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:06:08 EDT Among the earnings stories for Wednesday, Aug. 13, from AP Financial News: UNDATED (AP)--Deere & Co., the world's largest of maker of farm machinery, reported third-quarter earnings that missed Wall Street expectations and said escalating raw material costs will erode its profits later this year, pushing shares down more than 3 percent on Wednesday. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080813/earnings-roundup-deere-macys.htm Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:36:08 EDT Macy's Inc. warned on Wednesday that its profits for the full year will be below Wall Street expectations as the department store operator faces a slowdown in consumer spending. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080813/macys-warns-on-full-year-profits.htm Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:43:56 EDT Macy's Inc. posted a lower second-quarter profit Wednesday and warned that its full-year earnings will be below expectations. That, along with a pared-down outlook from a key supplier and a somber government report on retail sales in July, suggests a persistent slowdown for retailers as they face the critical back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons. http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/108430-earns-macys.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080813/macys-posts-2q-profit-decline.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080813/macys-posts-2q-profit-decline.htm Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:55:39 EDT Wall Street ended an erratic session Wednesday with a lopsided loss as blue chips fell on investors' concerns over the health of financial companies and high-tech stocks fared better on news from the semiconductor sector. The Dow Jones industrials fell more than 100 points, but the other major indexes finished with single-digit losses. http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/108177-wall-street.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080813/us-stocks-head-for-moderately-lower-open.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080813/us-stocks-head-for-moderately-lower-open.htm Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:21:24 EDT Major business events and economic events scheduled for Wednesday: WASHINGTON--Commerce Department releases retail sales for July, 8:30 a.m. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080812/calendar-of-major-business-events-for-wednesday.htm Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:16:34 EDT Macy's Inc.'s shares slipped more than 6 percent on Tuesday after an analyst cut his rating on the stock to reflect worries about a sales slowdown in the overall department store industry. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080812/macys-shares-slip-almost-4-pct-after-analyst-note.htm Tue, 12 Aug 2008 19:18:34 EDT Liz Claiborne Inc. is expected to report second-quarter earnings on Wednesday, and investors will be watching to see how falling consumer demand for apparel and a spate of retail bankruptcies are affecting business. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080811/on-the-watch-liz-claiborne.htm Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:46:39 EDT Amid the pile of downbeat sales reports for July from retailers, there was a sliver of hope: Second-quarter profits may not be as bad as expected when merchants such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Macy's Inc. and J.C. Penney Co. post their results starting this week. http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/107278-retail-earnings-preview.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080811/retailers-2q-results-may-not-be-as-bad-as-thought.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080811/retailers-2q-results-may-not-be-as-bad-as-thought.htm Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:11:45 EDT The dollar's rebound and oil's tumble breathed some serious optimism into Wall Street last week. But no one knows for sure yet whether the two trends are truly antidotes for what's been ailing the stock market. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080810/investors-eye-oil-dollar-retail-sales-this-week.htm Sun, 10 Aug 2008 13:54:34 EDT Major business events and economic events scheduled for the coming week (some dates are tentative): MONDAY, Aug. 11 http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080808/business-events-for-the-coming-week.htm Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:06:24 EDT Shares of department stores slipped slightly Thursday after most chains reported disappointing same-store sales results for July. Discount department store Kohl's Corp. said its same-store sales dropped 10.4 percent, far more than the drop of 7 percent predicted by analysts polled by Thomson Financial. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080807/sector-snap-department-stores-slip.htm Thu, 07 Aug 2008 11:16:44 EDT Shares of department stores fell Monday afternoon along with the broader market as new reports on consumer spending and inflation indicated more financial strain for consumers. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080804/sector-snap-department-stores-slip.htm Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:40:56 EDT Shares in the nation's department stores fell Friday amid concerns that the sector would post sluggish July sales results on Thursday. Macy's Inc.'s stock was down almost 3 percent, or 54 cents to $18.27, while J.C. Penney Co.'s shares fell more than 2 percent, or 69 cents, to $30.15 in afternoon trading. Upscale Nordstrom Inc.'s slipped 9 cents to $28.65, while Saks Inc., which operates Saks Fifth Avenue, slipped 8 cents to $10.11. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080801/department-store-shares-fall-ahead-of-july-data.htm Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:35:40 EDT Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. swung to a profit in the second quarter after a loss a year ago as the New York-based media company benefited from solid merchandise sales and advertising revenue growth despite a weakening economy. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080729/martha-stewart-swings-to-profit.htm Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:39:22 EDT Wall Street on Tuesday will find out if some relief at the pump led U.S. consumers to spend their extra dollars on clothing and other specialty items. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080729/ahead-of-the-bell-retail-sales.htm Tue, 29 Jul 2008 06:13:29 EDT Shares of department stores slid Monday amid worries about weak consumer spending. Shares of department store operator Macy's Inc. fell 2.6 percent, or 46 cents, to $17.61 in afternoon trading, while Saks Inc., which operates luxury chain Saks Fifth Avenue, fell 2.7 percent or 28 cents, to $10.22. Nordstrom Inc.'s stock fell 73 cents, or 2.8 percent, to $28.14, while J.C. Penney Co.'s shares fell 54 cents to $30.34. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080728/sector-wrap-department-stores-shares-fall.htm Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:07:05 EDT