Hot Topic

There's never a dull moment on Wall Street, especially when new tablets and old banks are in the way. Let's go over some of the items that will help shape the week ahead: The Kindle Fire, the Nook Tablet, and earnings reports from Sears, Gap, Hot Topic, Lowes Home Depot and Staples.

Despite the dismal economy, some investors have been snapping up teen retail stocks, driving their prices higher. But the combination of high fashion and high prices doesn't necessarily earn a company a premium price tag, or a place in a well-managed portfolio. Keep these metrics in mind to separate the bargains from the poseurs.

Two surprises in the finance biz: A small group of bond investors has thrown a wrench into Bank of America's massive mortgage securities settlement, while the Fed revealed a secret $15 billion loan it made to Goldman Sachs in 2008. But in retail, there are no bad surprises on same-store sales so far.

Retailers saw their sales figures jump in November with a strong Black Friday and a record-breaking Cyber Monday. The news could suggest this holiday season will be better than the last two, but could also mean that consumers have finished their shopping early.

Get 25% off a purchase of $50 or more at Hot Topic starting today through Jan. 31. Click here to get the discount and use code HTA25OFF50 at checkout. Hot Topic's clothes are similar to H&M and Forever 21 in that they' are relatively cheap and more fashion-forward than, say, The Gap. I like...

The consumer may be starting to make a really slow comeback. Shares of teen retailer Hot Topic Inc. (HOTT) were surging in pre-market trading after it forecast a first quarter profit of 1 to 2 cents per share, an improvement over its prior outlook for a 1-cent loss to a 1-cent profit. Strong sales...

Genentech (DNA) -- Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche said Thursday it has agreed to buy Genentech for $46.8 billion. Genentech's board approved and recommended the deal, which offers $95 per share for the 44 percent of Genentech that Roche Holding AG doesn't already own. The combined company would...

Some deals only come around once or twice a year, but offer savings that justify the wait. This post is part of our series on such 'don't miss' sales. Okay, I'm going to start with the obvious, just to get it out of the way: I am WAY too old for Hot Topic. Their target demographic is in the...