Research Topic

WASHINGTON -- The National Retail Federation announced that it welcomed the House of Representatives' vote to repeal a provision in last year’s healthcare reform law that would widely expand the number of IRS 1099 tax forms businesses would be required to file.

NEW YORK -- Consumers always want more. Whether it is a thinner, lighter iPad, a faster car or a muffin with more blueberries. The same is true in the world of coupons where a stumbling national economy caused shoppers to demand more coupons from consumer packaged goods companies.

The unemployment rate dipped from 9.0% in January to 8.9% in February, according to data released Friday morning by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Construction employment grew by 33,000 in February, following a decline of 22,000 in January that may have reflected severe winter weather, according to the bureau. Within construction, specialty trade contractors accounted for the bulk of the February job gain (+28,000).

Nashville, Tenn. -- Genesco said Friday that its net income rose 19%, boosted by acquisitions and higher revenue from its stores.

Net income rose 19% to $30.9 million, from $25.9 million in the prior-year period. Revenue rose 17% to $560.5 million, from $479 million. Analysts expected revenue of $539.8 million.

Same-store sales were up 9%.

For the full year, net income rose 85% to $53.2 million. Revenue rose 14% to $1.79 billion, from $1.57 billion.

New York City -- The District of Columbia came out on top on The U.S. Green Building Council’s 2010 list of Top 10 states for LEED-certified commercial and institutional green buildings per capita, based on the U.S. 2010 Census information. The district had 25 sq. ft. of LEED-certified space per person in 2010, followed by Nevada, with 10.92 sq. ft. per person in 2010.

The top LEED states per capita, including the District of Columbia: 

NEW YORK -- Sales at Macy’s, JCPenney and Kohl’s surpassed analysts’ estimates in February amid gradually moderating temperatures and rising consumer confidence. However, analysts warned that a late Easter and rising gasoline prices could impact sales going forward.

Confidence among U.S. consumers rose in February to the highest level in three years, according to a Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan index, as a drop in unemployment helped overcome concern over rising food and fuel costs.

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Pier 1 Imports reported significant gains in fourth-quarter and full-year comps due to increases in average ticket, conversion and traffic. 

The company reported that comparable-store sales for the fourth quarter ended Feb. 26 increased 8.9% compared with last year’s comparable-store sales increase of 6.5% for the fourth quarter ended Feb. 27, 2010. Total sales for the quarter improved to $427 million compared with  $396 million in the year-ago quarter. 

The March issue of Fortune contains the magazine’s annual ranking of the most admired companies and this year’s list shows Walmart slipped two spots from the prior year and now occupies the 11 position.