Finance & Capital Management

Birmingham, Ala. -- Books-A-Million reported Wednesday a profit of $8.1 million for the fourth quarter, up slightly from $7.6 million a year earlier.

Sales dipped 0.8% to $165.6 million, and same-store sales dropped 6.1%.

For the full year, the retailer swung from a loss of $4 million to a profit of $2.5 million. Revenue rose 7.5% to $503.8 million.

Plano, Texas -- A Tuesday report by Reuters said that embattled J.C. Penney Co. has recently revived its previously abandoned pricing strategy of raising prices on its own brands then discounting them as a way to spike sales and margins.

Citing an emailed statement by Penney spokeswoman Daphne Avila, Reuters reported that the retailer began changing price tags on merchandise earlier in March and expects to complete the process in April.

New York -- Consumer confidence fell sharply in March, according to The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index. The Index, which had improved in February, now stands at 59.7 down from 68.0 last month.

The Present Situation Index decreased to 57.9 from 61.4. The Expectations Index declined to 60.9 from 72.4 last month.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. revealed in a Tuesday SEC filing that it will most likely incur a loss from bribery probes into its operations in Mexico and other countries.

According to the filing, Wal-Mart said it expects to incur costs beyond the $157 million it spent on the probes in 2013, but didn’t elaborate on the amount or the size of the potential loss.

NEW YORK — The New York Times Editorial Board in an editorial published Tuesday, signaled Congress may be ready to take up the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013, a bill allowing states to require online retailers to collect sales taxes.

Hackensack, N.J. -- Academy Service Group, nationwide provider of facility maintenance services, announced Wednesday that it has sold Academy Fire Protection to a California-based private equity firm.  

New York -- Five Below reported Wednesday that net income for the quarter ended Feb. 2 rose to $19.2 million, compared with $12.4 million in the year-ago period.

Revenue surged 38% to $173.6 million from $125.8 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011. Same-store sales rose 4.4%.

For the full year, profit rose to $20 million from $16.1 million and revenue increased 41% to $418.8 million. The company said it expects to open 60 stores this year, including new markets in Texas, as well as adding units in existing markets.
 

New York -- Five Below reported Wednesday that net income for the quarter ended Feb. 2 rose to $19.2 million, compared with $12.4 million in the year-ago period.

Revenue surged 38% to $173.6 million from $125.8 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011. Same-store sales rose 4.4%.

For the full year, profit rose to $20 million from $16.1 million and revenue increased 41% to $418.8 million. The company said it expects to open 60 stores this year, including new markets in Texas, as well as adding units in existing markets.