WALMART

Foreman Danny Miranda remembers the days when the Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, ports were so jammed that ships waited in line to unload. Now the lingering recession has longshoremen waiting in line for work.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc's expansion into e-commerce will likely be successful as the company's aggressive price cuts and broad distribution capability may give Amazon.com Inc a run for its money, Moody's Investors Service said on Monday.

Walmart.com is cutting the prices of popular books even before they hit store shelves.

After only three days of sales, Michael Buble's new album topped the Billboard 200 chart, while rock legends KISS finished in second place, the highest album-chart position of their career.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc is expanding an offering of cut-price mobile services nationwide, putting further pressure on rivals such as Leap Wireless International Inc and MetroPCS .

Wal-Mart Stores Inc said on Wednesday it will begin offering two new no-contract wireless service plans at its U.S. discount stores, including a $30 prepaid plan that includes 1,000 minutes.

Walmart.com wants to be the first place U.S. consumers go to when making an online purchase, and its announcement on Tuesday that it will sell health and beauty products will help it reach that goal, its chief executive officer said in an interview.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc's online division said on Tuesday that it is now selling a wide range of personal care items, including diapers, vitamins and over-the-counter medication, for home delivery.

Family Dollar Stores Inc and Costco Wholesale Corp reported better-than-expected quarterly profits on Wednesday and said sales improved in September from preceding months, sending their shares higher.

U.S. retailers probably saw sales decline again in September, signaling weak demand leading into the holiday season that will require chains to sharpen their focus on value.

Leading Mexican retailer Wal-Mart de Mexico is expected to post a strong 15 percent rise in third-quarter profits as it uses promotions aimed at shoppers with little money to spend trying to beat the recession.

U.S. stocks traded slightly lower on Friday, rebounding from early losses, as gains in technology and financial shares helped offset some of the losses brought on by weak monthly employment figures.

Wall Street was set to fall more than 1 percent at open on Friday after a weaker-than-expected labor market report cast doubt about the pace of an economic recovery.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the world's biggest retailer, sees a slow recovery from challenging U.S. business conditions, while its Asia operations are a little better, its Chairman Rob Walton said on Friday.

EBay Inc Chief Executive John Donahoe said on Wednesday that recent lawsuits will not derail a $1.9 billion deal to sell a majority interest in Web telephone unit Skype to an investor group.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc's Sam's Club chain said on Wednesday that its U.S. warehouse clubs are now offering free technical support for consumer electronics, but it is toughening up its return policy for such items.

Supermarket operator Kroger Co posted lower-then-expected quarterly profit and trimmed its full-year forecast as it cuts prices to lure customers, sending its shares down 8.2 percent.

Best Buy Co's quarterly profit missed estimates on Tuesday as sales of lower-margin products like notebook computers and promotional efforts to woo shoppers ate into the top U.S. consumer electronics chain's margins.

Top U.S. consumer electronics chain Best Buy Co reported a lower-than-expected quarterly profit on Tuesday on weak sales of items such as videogames and cameras, but raised its forecast for the full year.

Home Depot Inc will begin selling next year a line of home improvement and other products that feature the Martha Stewart brand, the companies said on Monday.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc is expecting a late Christmas as consumers continue to carefully manage spending, CEO Mike Duke said at an investor conference on Thursday.