Finance & Capital Management

New York -- Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and J.C. Penney Co. on Monday announced a revised commercial agreement covering their licensing and design partnership. The new agreement scales back Penney’s partnership with Martha Stewart Living.
    
It was not clear how, if at all, the revised agreement could affect the companies’ ongoing lawsuit with Macy’s.
    

Bentonville, Ark. – Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. has reportedly named two new managers for its China business. According to Bloomberg, an internal corporate memo indicates Wal-Mart is naming Adrian Blake as senior VP of business development in China and Rob Bray as senior VP of real estate in China.

Los Angeles – Almost seven-in-10 (66%) shoppers feel retailers will offer better prices and discounts this year due to the current state of the economy. The new Winter Holiday Shopping Survey from PriceGrabber also shows that 21% of holiday shoppers said they started saving money before June, while the majority of survey respondents plan to start shopping for the holidays in October and November.

New York -- RadioShack has secured a financial boost from GE Capital, securing a loan of about $835 million, according to Marketwatch.com.

The loan, backed by inventory and other existing assets, will help the chain refinance the company's outstanding bank debt and free up cash for its ongoing revamp, the report said.

Gokul Rajaram, head of product engineering at disruptive payments company Square, has joined the board of directors at digital coupon marketplace RetailMeNot.

Boca Raton, Fla. - The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is reportedly set to approve the proposed merger between Office Depot and OfficeMax after concluding it will not significantly affect competition in the office retailing space. According to multiple press reports, the deal will go through without either company having to divest any holdings.

New York – The Jones Group is reportedly approaching deals to sell its business to Sycamore Group and GIII Apparel Group.

Sycamore Group is an Indianapolis-based real estate firm and GIII is a New York-based apparel licensor and manufacturer. Women’s Wear Daily reports sources indicate Jones Group is close to reaching agreements with both companies.

Oak Brook, Ill. – McDonald’s Corporation reported positive financial results during the third quarter of fiscal 2013. The retailer’s net income grew 5% from the third quarter of the previous fiscal year, rising to $1.52 billion from $1.45 billion.