JCPenney Co.

Charlotte, N.C. — Divaris Real Estate has arranged two leases totaling approximately 9,000 sq. ft. of retail space at the Westfield Eastridge Mall in Gastonia, N.C. Divaris represented the landlord, WEA Eastridge LP.

Los Arcos, a family owned Mexican restaurant, leased a 6,183-sq.-ft. outparcel building. Creations, a gift card shop, renewed its lease for 2,669 sq. ft.

Belk, J.C. Penney, Sears and Dillard’s anchor the mall, which is leased exclusively by Divaris.

Plano, Texas -- J.C. Penney Co. isn’t taking any chances. The retailer on Thursday announced it has adopted a one-year shareholder’s rights plan to protect itself against any future hostile takeover efforts.

DALLAS — J.C. Penney Co. posted a wider-than-expected loss in the second quarter on a nearly 12% drop in revenue. But even though Penney’s results were worse than expected, there were small signs that interim CEO Myron Ullman may be starting to stop the bleeding related to former CEO Ron Johnson’s failed transformation of the chain.

The quarter was the first entirely under the watch of Ullman, who returned to Penney in April to undo the strategy put in place by Johnson, who planned to transform Penney stores into a series of branded in-store shops.

DALLAS — Although J.C. Penney reported a wider-than-expected loss in the second quarter on a nearly 12% drop in revenue, small signs suggest that interim CEO Myron Ullman may be starting to turn things around.

The quarter was the first entirely under Ullman’s watch. Ullman returned to the retailer in April to undo the strategy put in place by Ron Johnson, who planned to transform J.C. Penney stores into a series of branded in-store shops.

In the 1980s, animated public service commercials featuring McGruff the Crime Dog exhorted viewers that: “Together, we can take a bite out of crime.” Two decades later, department store retailer J.C. Penney is taking that spirit of teamwork to cooperatively use technology to combat retail crime in the greater Chicago area.

New York -- J. C. Penney disclosed in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Friday that it entered into a Registration Rights Agreement with Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square and its affiliates that gives him an out to completely walk away from the company. Under the deal, Ackman can make up to four requests to Penney to register the sale of his restricted common stock.

"It is paving the way for (Pershing Square) to sell the stock if they choose to do so," Imperial Capital analyst Mary Ross Gilbert said in a Reuters report.

As the turmoil with hedge fund manager Bill Ackman winds down at J.C. Penney, another of the company’s investors is making headlines. This time it’s George Soros, who according to regulatory filings, has added two million shares to his current 19.98 million in Penney holdings.

This latest venture makes Soros Fund Management Penney’s second-largest investor — behind Ackman.

New York -- As turmoil continues to surround J.C. Penney, one investor is upping his support of the embattled retailer even as two other large investors leave. Regulatory filings on Wednesday revealed that billionaire investor George Soros has added two million shares to his current 19.98 million in Penney holdings.

The latest investment makes Soros Fund Management Penney’s second-largest investor, behind disgruntled hedge fund manager Bill Ackman.