WALMART

Bargain-seekers continued to flock to retailers offering low prices, giving Costco Wholesale Corp and newly public discounter Dollar General Corp a lift last quarter.

Costco Wholesale Corp said quarterly profit rose slightly on higher international sales and a weaker U.S. dollar that offset the effect of rising gasoline prices.

H&R Block Inc , the largest U.S. tax preparer, posted a narrower-than-expected second-quarter loss, aided mainly by better results in Tax Services segment, but said it is looking to close 400 regular offices this year as part of a cost-cutting plan.

Stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Monday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.62 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.53 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.52 percent, at 3:40 a.m. EST.

Stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Monday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.62 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.53 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.52 percent, at 0840 GMT (3:40 a.m. EST).

Nintendo Wii, one of the hottest Christmas gift ideas, is getting another $50 off its retail price, thanks to WalMart. The retail giant said it will be offering a $50 gift card to anyone who purchases the game console, effectively lowering the price to $149. The average retail price for a Nintendo Wii is $199.

Tesco Plc, Britain's biggest retailer, is set to join rivals in flagging solid pre-Christmas trading next week, but investors will be casting a wary eye on 2010 as the government unveils its budget plans.

Closeout retailer Big Lots Inc posted a better-than-expected quarterly profit, aided by lower freight costs, and raised its outlook for the holiday fourth quarter, sending its shares up more than 14 percent.

U.S. retailers from Macy's to Costco posted much weaker-than-expected sales for November as shoppers focused only on big bargains at the start of the key holiday selling season.

U.S. retailers from Macy's to Costco posted much weaker-than-expected sales for November as shoppers focused only on big bargains at the start of the key holiday selling season.

Several U.S. retailers posted weaker-than-expected sales for November, getting the key holiday season off to a sluggish start as consumers worried about the economy and double-digit unemployment.

U.S. online shoppers spent 5 percent more this Cyber Monday than they did last year as more consumers flocked to the Web for holiday shopping but spent slightly less per person, analytics firm comScore Inc said on Wednesday.

U.S. online shoppers spent 5 percent more this Cyber Monday than they did last year as more consumers flocked to the Web for holiday shopping but spent slightly less per person, analytics firm comScore Inc said on Wednesday.

CVS Caremark Corp has found a way to stop the Energizer bunny. It will discontinue sales of the company's alkaline batteries early next year.

When U.S. retail chains report November sales this week, investors will learn whether they have gone far enough to protect profits against a weak start to the holiday shopping season.

Holiday shoppers in the United States spent some $595 million online on Black Friday, up 11 percent from last year, with Amazon.com and Walmart.com the most visited sites, according to analytics firm comScore.

When U.S. retail chains report November sales this week, investors will learn whether they have gone far enough to protect profits against a weak start to the holiday shopping season.

When U.S. retail chains report November sales this week, investors will learn whether they have gone far enough to protect profits against a weak start to the holiday shopping season.

Online retail sales on Cyber Monday are set to reach a new record, with rivals Amazon.com Inc and Walmart.com set to be the prime beneficiaries, according to industry experts.

Investors took a dim view of holiday retail sales after a weak Black Friday weekend, with Amazon.com Inc one of the few stocks to rise on hopes it was gaining a greater share of consumer spending.

Investors took a dim view of early holiday season sales on Monday, with shares of Best Buy , Amazon and American Eagle Outfitters among the few positive performers on hopes they were gaining a larger share of consumer spending.