Consumer Goods & Retail
US automakers plead with Congress for emergency cash
* White House: too early to give automakers' plans a grade Full Article
UPDATE 1-Big Three failure could implode US supply base-JCI
DETROIT, Dec 4 (Reuters) - The failure of a U.S. car company would quickly cause failures in the domestic auto parts supply base, a Johnson Controls Inc executive said on Thursday in testimony supporting a government rescue for the three U.S.-based automakers. Full Article
US Nov retail sales drop, investors hope for bottom
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Many U.S. retailers posted sharply lower November sales at stores open at least a year, prompting some investors to pour into the sector on hopes the dismal results signaled a bottom for share values. Full Article
Mattel wins court ban of MGA's Bratz dolls
LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) - A California federal judge ordered MGA Entertainment Inc to stop selling its popular Bratz dolls and banned it from using the toy's name, finding that hundreds of Bratz products infringe copyrights owned by rival toymaker Mattel Inc . Full Article
Toll loss narrows, shares rise sharply
(Recasts first paragraph, updates share movement, adds analyst quote, index) Full Article
Williams-Sonoma loss smaller than expected; shrs up
ATLANTA (Reuters) - Home-goods retailer Williams-Sonoma Inc reported a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss on Thursday and said it amended a $300 million credit line providing for more relaxed covenants, sending its shares up 10 percent. Full Article
Starbucks to cut more costs in tough economy
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Starbucks Corp said on Thursday it would take new steps to save on costs and keep its fundamental strategy unchanged despite a U.S. recession, sending the coffee shop operator's shares up 8 percent. Full Article
UPDATE 1-Brazil auto sales plunge 26 pct as crisis spreads
* Sales are still up 18.3 pct so far in 2008 (Adds exports, year-to-date sales, breakdown by automaker) Full Article
Renault will cut output further if needed-CEO
PARIS (Reuters) - Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn on Thursday welcomed French government measures to help the struggling auto industry, but warned that further production cuts would be necessary if markets deteriorated further. Full Article
InterCon sees no further hotel fall in Nov
* InterContinental sees Nov hotel market similar to Oct Full Article
Smithfield, Sanderson losses worse than expected
CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. pork producer Smithfield Foods Inc and chicken producer Sanderson Farms Inc reported larger-than-expected quarterly operating losses on Thursday due to much higher feed costs. Full Article
CORRECTED-UPDATE 3-Safeway to cut costs, prices in 2009
(Adds 2008 outlook, CEO comments, byline; updates stock rise) Full Article
Morrison Q3 sales top forecast, to buy Co-op stores
* Agrees to buy 38 stores from the Co-op for 223 mln stg Full Article
Commodities
| Commodity | Last | Pct Chg | Trade Date/Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil | 42.41 | -7.14% | 4 Dec 19:50 GMT |
| Gold | 764.8 | -0.48% | 4 Dec 19:43 GMT |
