Finance & Capital Management

In a second-quarter earnings season characterized by weather-depressed sales figures, Oak Brook, Ill.-based Ace Hardware Corp. managed to show a gain in revenues.

For the three months ended July 2, Ace saw revenues increase 0.5% to $1.021 billion. For the six-month period, sales increased 1.6% over the same two quarters in 2010.

Boulder, Colo. -- Organic grocer Sunflower Farmers Market said Monday that it will open a second location in San Jose in 2012, the company’s fourth in the Bay Area.

Sunflower said it will anchor West Valley Shopping Center, and is slated to open the 32,000-sq.-ft. store in second quarter 2012.

SAN FRANCISCO — Gap Inc. announced that it plans to open its first stores in Vietnam and Guam through its franchise channel. In Vietnam, the first Gap stores will open this October followed by the first Banana Republic store in 2012. The first Gap store will open in Guam in 2012. The company first made its products available to consumers in this region last year through its international online shipping provider.

New York City -- The women who were part of the large class action lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores have been given until Oct. 28 to file individual lawsuits against the company, a U.S. judge ruled, Reuters reported.

The women, who claim the retailer denied them pay raises and promotions because of gender bias, are regrouping after the U.S. Supreme Court dismantled a class of up to 1.5 million current and former Wal-Mart workers in June.

New York City -- CVS Caremark announced that Mark Cosby has been appointed president of CVS/pharmacy, effective Oct. 1. He formerly served as president of stores for Macy’s.

“We’re delighted that Mark is joining our team,” Larry Merlo, CEO of CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS) said in a news release. “His valuable experience at major retailers in operations and strategic planning makes him an excellent choice to lead our retail business going forward.”

If you’re peeking at the news between slats in your fingers, scared to see where the S&P 500 sits or what’s happening with the NASDAQ, the Dow and the price of oil, you’re quite obviously not alone. Each day is a frightening new one, and no one – not even economists – are quite sure what’s going to happen next.

There is some debate as to whether paying dividends or buying back stock is a more desirable method of returning cash to shareholders. Those in the dividend camp would prefer to have the cash in their pocket, whereas share repurchase advocates argue that retiring shares through buyback activity improves profits as net income is spread over a smaller number of outstanding shares.