Among the stock activity stories for Thursday, Nov. 12, from AP Financial News:

Shares of teen apparel retailer The Buckle Inc. dropped Thursday after Goldman Sachs initiated coverage of the stock with a "Sell" rating and warned that it sees red flags that indicate the retailer's performance could soon decline.

How October sales at 30 chains compared with October 2008:

Summary of sales at stores open at least a year in October for apparel chains, with percentage increase or decrease over the same month last year.

Teen apparel retailer The Buckle Inc. said Thursday that sales in stores open at least one year rose 4.3 percent, a smaller rise than analysts were expecting.

Shoppers limited their back-to-school purchases and stayed focused on necessities in August, resulting in the 12th straight month of declining sales for retailers.

Retailers reported disappointing sales in July, a sign that consumers are continuing to watch their spending carefully and hunting for the best bargains.