Shares of drugstore operators sank Monday as new credit concerns knocked the broader markets sharply lower.

Shares of drugstores retreated from earlier gains in Friday afternoon trading, as stocks lost some ground after the House of Representatives approved a $700 billion financial sector bailout bill.

Drug store chain Rite Aid Corp. on Thursday said its same-store sales rose 1.7 percent in September.

Shares of some top drugstore companies were down at the close of trading:

Shares of Longs Drugs Stores Corp. closed out a strong third quarter Tuesday driven by buyout offers, while rivals Walgreen Co. and Rite Aid Corp. may be glad the period is over.

Shares of some top drugstore companies are down at noon:

Shares of some top drugstore companies are down at 10 a.m.:

Drugstore operator Rite Aid shook up its management ranks Thursday after posting a higher second-quarter loss because of disappointing results at stores acquired from Brooks Eckerd and heavy promotional spending.

Drugstore operator Rite Aid Corp. shook up its leadership structure Thursday after reporting a larger second-quarter loss, with three executives leaving and former Chief Financial Officer John Standley returning as president.

Drugstore operator Rite Aid said Thursday its loss nearly tripled in its second quarter because of disappointing results from the Brooks Eckerd stores Rite Aid bought in 2007.

By Jessica Wohl

Drug store operator Rite Aid Corp. is scheduled to report its fiscal second-quarter results Thursday morning. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst commentary for the period ended Aug. 30.

Earnings season kicked off Monday, and investors are bracing for some fairly ugly results, especially in the beaten-down financial sector.

As investors come to terms with the fact that the U.S. economy is either in or heading toward a recession, Wall Street is bracing for earnings season, which kicks off Monday with Alcoa.