Finance & Capital Management

Washington, D.C. -- The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index fell to minus 34.4 in the seven days ended Jan. 6 from minus 31.8 the prior period, the biggest one-week drop since August. Jobless claims increased by 4,000 to 371,000 in the week ended Jan. 5, according to Labor Department figures.

New York -- According to multiple reports on Thursday, congressmen Henry Waxman (D-Rep., Calif.) and Elijah Cummings (D-Rep. Md.) have said that Wal-Mart Stores CEO Mike Duke and other senior-level officials at the retailer were informed about allegations of bribery in the retailer’s operations in Mexico in 2005.

The two congressmen cited documentation obtained by their staffs, which discussed allegations of corruption regarding a store in Teotihuacan.

New York -- Aeropostale Inc. reported Thursday that sales for the nine-week holiday selling period ended Dec. 29 fell 6% to $645 million. Same-store sales, including e-commerce, dropped 8%.

The retailer has cut its earnings guidance for the fourth quarter.

New Hyde Park, N.Y. — In the much-watched deal between Supervalu and a consortium of investors led by Cerberus Capital Management, Kimco Realty Group – along with several other real estate companies — has emerged as a player.

Farmington Hills, Mich. -- Agree Realty Corp. said Thursday it acquired a portfolio of four Applebee's restaurants, as well as an Advance Auto Parts in late December 2012 for about $10 million.

These latest acquisitions bring Agree’s 2012 total purchase activity to approximately $81.5 million.

The recently acquired Applebee's assets are located in Harlingen, Texas, and Wichita Falls, Texas, as well as two properties in Pensacola, Fla. The Advance Auto Parts is located on an outlot to a Walmart Supercenter in Lebanon, Va.

North Plainfield, N.J. -- A Thursday report by Levin Management Corp. found that leasing activity in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania improved in 2012.

Bismarck, N.D. -- Chattanooga, Tenn.-based CBL & Associates Properties announced Thursday that it plans to acquire Kirkwood Mall, located in Bismarck, N.D., from Radiant Partners.

Philadelphia and New York -- Law firm Duane Morris announced that it has named partners Chester Lee in New York and George Kroculick in Philadelphia as co-chairs of its firmwide Real Estate Practice Group.

Lee and Kroculick succeed partner Marc Brookman in heading the practice.

Lee and Kroculick will take over a national practice involving more than 90 lawyers with broad experience in real estate and development matters.

Newington, Conn. -- Cohen Real Estate said Thursday that it has brokered the sale of Newington Fair Shopping Center for $17.5 million to Inland Diversified Real Estate.

The property is a 100 % occupied, 187,000-sq.-ft. power center located in the community of Newington, and is anchored by a 135,000-sq.-ft. Sam’s Wholesale Club and a 52,000-sq.-ft. L.A. Fitness.

The seller is a Houston-based developer, owner and manager of single and multi-tenant retail properties.

Chicago -- Walgreens on Wednesday told shareholders at the chain’s annual meeting in Chicago that it will continue to push the envelope of traditional drugstore retailing. Going forward, the company said it is focused on three areas of opportunity: