Weak November for Wal-Mart

Chicago, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. predicted a rare decline in monthly sales on Saturday, even as shoppers crowded stores on Black Friday. Wal-Mart estimated that November comp-store sales fell 0.1% at its U.S. stores open at least a year, marking the company’s first monthly comp-store sales decline since April 1996.

The retailer will provide a final monthly sales report, including details of Black Friday sales, on Thursday. Wal-Mart had expected comp-store sales to be flat compared with the same period last year, which many Wall Street analysts had viewed as disappointing. Wal-Mart's four-week November sales period ended on Friday.