Many retailers are reporting solid sales gains for December, capping a decent holiday season, but shoppers bent on discounts exacted a high price.

Fitch said Monday that it will keep its rating for long-term U.S. debt at the top AAA level, despite a congressional panel's failure to agree on long-term deficit cuts. But it is lowering its outlook to negative.

Fitch said Monday that it will keep its rating for long-term U.S. debt at the top AAA level, despite a congressional panel's failure to agree on long-term deficit cuts. But it is lowering its outlook to negative.

Department store operator Kohl's Corp. said Thursday its third-quarter profit rose 20 percent, helped by strong demand for exclusive lines by Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony.

The outlook for American jobs and trade looked a little brighter Thursday, despite growing uncertainty overseas.

Appliance maker Whirlpool Corp. said Friday it will cut 5,000 jobs, about 10 percent of its workforce in North America and Europe, as it faces soft demand and higher costs for materials.

The economy grew slightly faster in the spring than previously estimated but remained dangerously weak in the face of high unemployment and higher gas prices. Many economists foresee slightly better growth in the current July-September quarter.

As trial balloons go, Hewlett-Packard's not-so-secret handwringing -over whether to dump CEO Leo Apotheker and replace him with former eBay CEO Meg Whitman- was a success. Investors like the idea.

The financial leaders of the world's most developed economies were wrangling Friday over how to revive a faltering economic recovery at a time when interest rates are already low and government debt is high.

The number of people seeking unemployment benefits ticked up slightly last week, evidence that the job market isn't improving.