Shop 'till you drop it's not, but U.S. women are finally starting to buy clothes again.

Although consumers are mired in the deepest recession in decades, there are plenty of reasons to believe that this holiday season will not be as bad for retailers as last year.

NAME: Myron E. Ullman III, known as Mike

This holiday season, J.C. Penney CEO and Chairman Myron E. Ullman III is armed with a lineup of exclusive fashion brands he helped bring to the department store chain, and he's ready to battle key rivals like Macy's.

J.C. Penney will stop publishing its twice-yearly "big book" catalogs, now that customers increasingly shop online.

U.S. department store operator J.C. Penney said on Wednesday it will stop publishing its twice-yearly "big book" catalogs as consumers increasingly turn to online shopping.

Fitch Ratings expects sales at stores open at least a year to rise slightly this holiday season after last year's sharp falloff, the credit rating agency said Monday.

Stocks advanced Friday as Disney's earnings beat and JCPenney's outlook helped offset worries about a drop in consumer sentiment. For the week, the Dow gained 2.5 percent, finishing at its highest level since Oct. 2008.

Stocks clawed higher Friday as solid earnings from Disney and JCPenney helped offset worries about a drop in consumer sentiment. It was a wobbly morning but by midday, the  Dow was up more than 100 points, or 1 percent.

Stocks wobbled Friday as investors juggled a drop in consumer confidence against solid earnings from Disney and JCPenney. They started the day higher, then retreated, then made another push higher.

U.S. department store operator JC Penney forecast earnings for the holiday quarter that could surpass Wall Street expectations, and its shares rose about 8 percent on Friday.

By Phil Wahba

Department store chain J.C. Penney Co. reported a 78 percent drop in its third-quarter earnings because of a big expense for its pension plan, and its revenue slipped from a year earlier.

What follows is a roundup of corporate earnings reports for November, Nov. 13.

Thursday's losses notwithstanding, Wall Street's major averages enter the Friday session with a chance to finish off their second consecutive week of gains.