Business - Retail

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. - Teen clothing retailer The Wet Seal Inc. said Monday that its chairman, Alan Siegel, has retired from the company's board of directors. Full Story »

NEW YORK - Electronics retailer Best Buy Co. reports earnings for its fiscal third quarter on Tuesday. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period. Full Story »

Encouraging news about how consumers feel about the economy and how much they're spending sent stocks higher on Friday. The strong showing in retail sales last month raised hopes that consumers are starting to feel more comfortable opening their wallets after months of building savings. Meanwhile, the preliminary Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index increased more than expected in December. Full Story »

NEW YORK - The dollar rose Friday to its highest level against the euro since early October as a report showed the holiday shopping season could be brighter than had been anticipated, raising speculation that the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates in the first half of 2010. Full Story »

NEW YORK - Shares of retailers rose on Friday, after the Commerce Department reported an unexpectedly encouraging November sales report. Full Story »

NEW YORK - Airline stocks took off Friday as oil tumbled for the eighth straight day and stocks in the broader market climbed after a positive retail sales report. Full Story »

NEW YORK - Shares of auto retailer Sonic Automotive Inc. rose Friday after an analyst upgraded its rating on the stock over improvements in the company's balance sheet. Full Story »

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US retail spending jumped 1.3 percent in November, according to government data Friday that offered fresh optimism for the troubled American consumer going into the critical holiday shopping period. Full Story »

WASHINGTON - House passes bill overhauling financial regulations, letting feds break up big risky companies. Full Story »

WASHINGTON - Retail sales are expected to show a slight advance in November, but consumers still appear hesitant to spend big, a major obstacle facing the economic recovery. Full Story »

BEIJING (AFP) - China said Friday it had ended an almost year-long bout of deflation in November while factory output picked up as the world's third-largest economy powered ahead following the global crisis. Full Story »

BOSTON (Reuters) - BlackRock Inc plans to launch a portfolio that will let wealthy individual investors access hedge funds that have boosted pension funds' and endowments' returns, the company said in a regulatory filing on Thursday. Full Story »

WAYNE, N.J. - Toys R Us Inc. on Wednesday reported a narrower third-quarter loss as its CEO said the toy retailer saw its best operating performance since 2006. Full Story »

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The state is partnering with four large retail chains in an attempt to make sure all Ohioans have access to flu treatment drugs this flu season. Full Story »

NEW YORK - Luxury retailer Neiman Marcus said Wednesday it is revising its sales figures from November and December 2008 due to a mechanical error. Full Story »

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Upscale retailer Neiman Marcus Inc reported sharply lower quarterly profit as worried consumers continued to avoid luxury items amid a slowdown the company expects will last for some time. Full Story »

NEW YORK - Standard & Poor's upgraded its rating outlook on J. Crew Group Inc. to positive from stable, based on the clothing retailer's third-quarter results and improved cash position. Full Story »

NEW YORK - More than 600,000 businesses across the country are getting an early Christmas present. Full Story »