Financial/Banking

The electronic currency known as bitcoin allows small- and medium-size companies to reach more customers by opening new markets that were previously unreachable, the co-founder of a company that allows businesses to use bitcoins said in testimony this week before two Senate subcommittees. And it appears that federal authorities are open to its development.

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Stein Mart reported a return to profit in the third quarter, recording net income of $28,000 for the period ended Nov. 2, compared with a loss of $1.7 million last year. Results matched Wall Street expectations.

Revenue climbed 6% to $290.5 million from $273.7 million, topping Wall Street's estimate of $287.9 million. Same-store sales rose 4.8%.

Chesapeake, Va. -- Dollar Tree Inc. reported that its net income in the third quarter fell 19%, impacted by a one -time gain a year related to selling its stake in the Ollie's Holdings chain. The company forecast results for the fourth quarter below Street expectations.

The company posted earnings of $125.4 million for the period ended Nov. 2, down from $155.4 million a year ago.

Revenue rose 9.5% to $1.88 billion. Analysts expected revenue of $1.91 billion.

Same-store sales were up 3%.

New York -- Bon-Ton Stores narrowed its loss in the third quarter to $931,000, compared with a loss of $10.1 million in the year-ago period.

Revenue dipped 3% to $651.2 million from $668.7 million, narrowly missing analysts’ expected $671.2 million in revenue.

Same-store sales fell 2.8%.

Last week’s PS4 launch and the highly anticipated Xbox One launch bolstered GameStop’s third-quarter results, but not as much as some investors expected, according to other reports.

The company posted total global sales for the quarter of $2.11 billion, an 18.8% increase from $1.77 billion in the prior-year quarter. Consolidated comparable store sales surged 20.5%, significantly above the forecasted range — but, according to a Reuters report, not enough to keep shares from slipping 6%.

Atlanta — Jones Lang LaSalle has closed the sale of a portfolio of four grocery-anchored centers on behalf of Regency Partners II. Publix Supermarkets acquired the properties for $37.5 million.

The portfolio of shopping center includes:

San Francisco -- Gap Inc. reported a 9.4% increase in third-quarter profit as the retailer's turnaround continues. The company also reaffirmed its full-year profit guidance and said it is increasing its stock buyback authorization by $1 billion.

The chain posted net income of $337 million in the three-month period ended Nov. 2, compared with $308 million last year.

Chicago -- Almost half of Americans (46%) report they will spend less on the holidays than last year, with those living in the South more likely than any other region to say they plan to spend less this year at 55%.

An online survey conducted in October 2013 among 2,014 Americans ages 18 and older by Harris Interactive on behalf of online lender CashNetUSA also shows that only 8% of Americans indicate they plan to spend more on the holidays this year than last year and 37% indicated they would spend the same as last year.