Shares of some top specialty retail companies were mixed at the close of trading:

Among the sector activity stories for Friday, Sept. 5, from AP Financial News:

Shares of some top specialty retail companies are down at noon:

An analyst on Friday said economic forces weighing on home improvement chains The Home Depot Inc. and Lowe's Cos. Inc. are nearing the end of their "trough-like levels," and the early stages of improvement could begin sometime next year.

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

Shares of Lowe's Cos. declined on Thursday, after Chief Executive Robert Niblock warned that the housing market remains difficult, given high inventory of unsold homes, tight credit and rising unemployment.

Home Depot's chief executive said a battered U.S. housing market was nearing the bottom of its decline, but the home-improvement sector would remain under pressure at least through early 2009.

Among the stock activity stories for Tuesday, Sept. 2, from AP Financial News:

Hurricane Gustav may trigger insurance claims as high as $10 billion including damage to oil facilities, according to risk management firms that issued preliminary estimates.

There will likely be some relief on Wall Street after it appeared that Hurricane Gustav hadn't damaged the Gulf Coast as badly as many feared — and in turn sent oil prices falling sharply. But trading may nonetheless be uneven when the market reopens Tuesday after the long holiday weekend, as it may take some time until all the damage reports are in.

From the confines of an emergency command center at the company's North Carolina headquarters, dozens of Lowe's employees are spending the weekend monitoring the swirling collection of clouds and rain bearing down on the Gulf Coast.

Once relegated to the dank corners of the basement, freezers are being embraced again by shoppers who are stashing bulk-sized purchases of meats, fruits and vegetables there as they work to combat rising food prices.

Once relegated to the dank corners of the basement, freezers are being embraced again by shoppers who are stashing bulk-sized purchases of meats, fruits and vegetables there as they work to combat rising food prices.

According to data from the market research firm NPD Group, sales of freezers are up for the first six months of the year.

Tropical Storm Gustav is moving slowly toward the Gulf of Mexico, and energy companies, governments and retailers are preparing, should it strengthen to hurricane status.  CNBC asked energy and retail insiders to weigh in.