RETAIL SALES

If the bulls have their way, Wall Street's rally will keep going next week on signs of stability in the labor market. But concerns about penny-pinching consumers during the holiday shopping season and the specter of higher interest rates may be a hurdle to jump.

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.

General Motors Co posted a 2.2 percent drop in U.S. sales in November from a year earlier, weighed down by brands it plans to divest or close, and said it would raise production in North America by about 75 percent in the first quarter.

General Motors Co said on Monday it delivered 151,427 vehicles in the United States in November.

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.

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 Sales May Hit Record; GE-Comcast JV Closer to Reality; Recovery Encourages

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.

China will expand schemes that give consumers a discount if they trade in old cars and household appliances for new ones, according to Vice Commerce Minister Jiang Zengwei.

In a worrisome sign for retailers, data released on Saturday showed that sales rose a scant 0.5 percent on the traditional kickoff to the holiday shopping season despite early signs of a strong showing.

Activision Blizzard Inc said on Friday its Call of Duty video game franchise pushed past the $3 billion mark in global retail sales.

The Australian Dollar opens lower today at 0.9140 after a volatile local session on Thursday. The Aussie's foray above US93 cents due to a weak greenback was short-lived after the release of third-quarter capital expenditure data which fell 3.9 per cent. The unit fell sharply to an intraday low of 0.9230 ahead of a move back up to 0.9245 heading into European trade. In offshore trade, the unit moved between a high of 0.9245 down to 0.9100 on renewed risk aversion, however volumes were far thinn...

When the U.S. holiday shopping season kicks off on the day after Thanksgiving, retailers can expect to see millions of less frightened, but even more bargain-hungry customers cross their thresholds.

When the U.S. holiday shopping season kicks off on the day after Thanksgiving, retailers can expect to see millions of less frightened but even more bargain hungry customers cross their thresholds.

The recent deep economic downturn has had a pronounced impact on commercial real estate sectors, but credit availability is the big unknown that will determine how soon commercial markets recover, according to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.

The U.S. government is having a tough time guesstimating how many small businesses failed in this recession, casting doubt on the reliability of vital data on employment and economic growth.

The Japanese yen rises broadly in Asia today on risk aversion as Japanese Nikkei led Asian stocks lower in general. Nikkei dropped another -1.32% today to close at 9549 and is now farther away from previously mentioned head and shoulder top neckline.

Coca-Cola Co unveiled goals on Monday that call for the revenue generated by the company and its bottlers to double to roughly $200 billion by 2020, with profit margins increasing.

U.S. retail sales grew more than expected last month as vehicle purchases bounced back, but non-auto sales rose modestly, suggesting consumers remained too cautious to drive a robust economic recovery.

U.S. retail sales rebounded in October as vehicle purchases rose even without support from government incentives, a Reuters survey predicted, which could allay some fears over the strength of the economy's recovery.