Financial/Banking

Plano, Texas -- J.C. Penney issued a brief statement on Wednesday saying that it was "pleased” with its performance for the holiday selling period, and reaffirmed its fourth quarter fiscal 2013 guidance for increased same-store sales. But the retailer did not provide any specific sales data.

Coppell, Texas – The Container Store Group Inc. saw its net income drop about 2%, to $5.2 million from $5.3 million, during the third quarter of fiscal 2013. This occurred while net sales grew 7.3%, to $188.3 million from $175.4 million, and same-store sales increased 4.7%.

New York -- Shareholder rights law firm Robbins Arroyo LLP is investigating whether certain officers and directors of Barnes & Noble, Inc. breached their fiduciary duties to shareholders.

New York -- On Tuesday, Mexican retail company Grupo Gigante said in a regulatory filing that it will list shares in Office Depot de Mexico, the local division of the U.S. office-supply chain it purchased last year.

The listing would be public in Mexico and private in the United States and other markets.

North Plainfield, N.J. — Salon 724 has leased 2,300 sq. ft. at Centre Plaza in Bensalem, Pa., according to Levin Management (www.levinmgt.com), the center’s exclusive leasing and managing agent.

Tenants at the 43,550-sq.-ft. Centre Plaza include Curves for Women, Domino’s Pizza, LabCorp, MGM Financial Strategies Inc., First Federal Savings & Loan, A&S Bagels and Tako Japanese Restaurant.

Wilmington, Del. — Law firm Rigrodsky & Long, P.A is investigating potential legal claims against the board of directors of Arden Group, Inc. regarding possible breaches of fiduciary duties and other violations of law related to the company’s entry into an agreement to be acquired by global private investment firm TPG, in a transaction valued at approximately $394 million.

Hampstead, Md. -- Preparing for a potential fight against Men’s Wearhouse’s unsolicited acquisition bid, Jos. A. Bank Clothiers is ramping up its "poison pill" defense.  

Jos. A. Bank said Friday that it is lowering its ownership threshold to 10% from 20%, which is the same ownership threshold as Men's Wearhouse's shareholder rights plan.

Such a plan typically allows existing shareholders to acquire more stock at a discounted rate to ward off the investor collecting a big stake.

A new form of digital currency will reportedly soon be competing with Bitcoin. According to multiple media reports, the currency, known as “Coinye West,” will launch at 11 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 11.

According to the Coinye West website, the currency will use a Scrypt algorithm and have a maximum number of 1,333,333,333. The site also promises that password-protected, encrypted archives containing the binaries and source for the wallet and daemon will be released before launch and that Coinye West is digital currency “for the masses.”