Financial/Banking

Fort Worth, Texas – John Feray, who had served as CFO of RadioShack for less than a year, has resigned from the company, citing personal reasons. Holly F. Etlin, managing director of AlixPartners and longtime RadioShack advisor, has been named interim CFO of the struggling retailer. She previously served as RadioShack's interim CFO from July 2013 to February 2014.

Dallas -- Neiman Marcus Group has signed an agreement to acquire the German luxury fashion e-commerce site  Mytheresa.com and Theresa, its flagship Munich store from Christoph and Susanne Botschen and Acton Capital Partners. The transaction is expected to close later this year.

New York – Ann Inc. is publicly responding to an open letter sent by activist investors Engine Capital and Red Alder on Aug. 25, which urged the company to sell at a substantial premium above current stock price. In a press release, Ann Inc. said its board is “very active and consistently has been, and remains, focused on enhancing shareholder value.”

Ann Inc. also said its board regularly reviews all options and uses a financial advisor to help evaluate them.

Longtime RadioShack adviser Holly F. Etlin has been tapped once more as interim CFO, replacing John Feray. Citing personal reasons, Feray resigned Sept. 12, just a day after the company posted its 10th straight quarterly loss.

Etlin, a managing director of AlixPartners, has already served as RadioShack's interim CFO, from July 2013 to Feb. 2014.

RadioShack warned in a regulatory filing it may seek bankruptcy protection, with a possible sale or third-party investment as other potential avenues to remedy its ongoing financial woes.

Boca Raton, Fla. – Office Depot Inc. will transfer the listing of its common stock from the New York Stock Exchange to the Nasdaq Global Select Market. The company expects its common stock to cease trading on the NYSE effective at the close of business on Sept. 25, and to commence trading on Nasdaq on Sept. 26, when the market opens.

The company will retain its current ticker symbol “ODP” when trading begins on Nasdaq.

Atlanta - Overall retail spending growth in August 2014 was the strongest in more than a year. According to the First Data SpendTrend report, retail dollar volume growth reached 2.8% in August (compared to 2.6% in July), as back-to-school shopping propelled spending growth in several retail categories. (SpendTrend tracks same-store point-of-sale data by credit, signature debit, PIN debit, EBT, closed-loop prepaid cards and checks from nearly 4 million merchants locations serviced by First Data in the United States.)

Overall retail spending growth in August 2014 was the strongest in more than a year, according to the First Data SpendTrend report.

Retail dollar volume growth reached 2.8% in August — compared to 2.6% in July — as back-to-school shopping propelled spending growth in several retail categories.

New York -- Fitch Ratings on Friday downgraded RadioShack's credit rating. On Thursday, the struggling retailer warned it may need to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Fitch cut RadioShack's issuer default rating from "C'' from "CC," which puts the chain’s credit rating one level above default.