Black Friday deals may not be as good as they once were as the day evolves into more of a marketing event, but that doesn't stop some shoppers from venturing out.

With nightmares of Christmas 2008 markdowns dancing in their heads, retailers have slashed inventories to some of the leanest levels in recent memory.

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.

By Phil Wahba

Nordstrom reported earnings that missed analysts expectations by a penny but beat on revenue, causing the company's shares to fall in after-hours trading.

Stocks struggled Thursday as investors juggled a weak holiday outlook from Wal-Mart and a drop in jobless claims. Techs clawed higher, with huge gains in JDS Uniphase and AMD.

Stocks struggled Thursday as investors juggled a weak holiday outlook from Wal-Mart and a drop in jobless claims. Techs clawed higher, with huge gains in JDS Uniphase and AMD.

Stocks wobbled Thursday as investors juggled a weak holiday outlook from Wal-Mart and a drop in jobless claims. Techs clawed higher after some big news out of the sector.

Department store operator Kohl's Corp reported a larger-than-expected quarterly profit Thursday, but gave an outlook below Wall Street estimates for the period that includes the key holiday season.

By Phil Wahba

Kohl's said it is set to battle it out for market share during the upcoming holiday season, as it reported Thursday that consumers responded to its exclusive brands and moderate prices and sent profit up 21 percent in the third quarter.

U.S. futures remained slightly lower ahead of the open Thursday after Wal-Mart posted a 1.1 percent rise in third-quarter U.S. sales, compared to the same quarter last year, and U.S. mortgage applications pushed higher last week. 

What follows is a roundup of corporate earnings reports for Thursday,  Nov. 12.

Consumer spending plunged in September by the largest amount in nine months, reflecting the end of the government's Cash for Clunkers auto sales program.

As another new fashion season debuts, against the chilliest retail climate in years, many believe this is not merely a difficult moment for high-end retail but a defining one as well.