Shop Talk

Retailers, consumers and prices

Check Out Line: Some lingering retail holiday cheer

By Brad Dorfman
January 12, 2010

PAKISTAN/Check out some good news from retail.

Supervalu said tighter cost controls helped it post higher than expected profit. Okay, that is really mixed news, since comparable-store sales were worse than it expected. But its shares rose more than 7 percent.

Big Lots said its fourth-quarter sales were better than expected and raised its earnings forecast, sending its shares up more than 2 percent.

On the jewelry front, Tiffany saw sales rise over Christmas and upped its profit view. Same thing with Signet, which owns Kay Jewelers and Jared The Galleria of Jewelry.

In fact, what retailer didn’t have good news today? Oh, wait. The folks that own A&P posted a big loss as margins fell, and its stock tumbled 19 percent.

Also in the basket:

Cadbury rejects Kraft, reports robust trading

BofA Merrill ups P&G, cuts Colgate-Palmolive

(Reuters photo)

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