LOW

Stocks fell again on Wednesday, and oil prices briefly crossed the $100-a-barrel mark after violence escalated in Libya. Oil traders are spooked about the possible spread of turmoil. Tech bellwether HP's disappointing outlook also hurt.

Many of America's best-known retailers, including Walmart, Home Depot and JCPenney, will be stepping into the earnings spotlight this week. Their reports come on the heels of disappointing January retail sales numbers from the Commerce Department.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway liquidated its positions in a number of high-profile companies during the fourth quarter, but the Oracle of Omaha has hung on to his huge stake in Coca-Cola. And Coke's nearly 4% drop is a weight on Buffett's portfolio.

Lowe's (LOW) stock has meandered since my September 16, 2009 Buy rating at $21.60 per share, but I'm nevertheless reiterating my buy rating. Here's why: Lowe's has now posted three straight quarters of earnings that were not as bad as expected. While that alone certainly isn't a reason to buy its...

An improvement in sales at Kmart and cost-cutting overall helped Sears Holdings Corp. (SHLD) show better results in the third quarter. The parent of Sears and Kmart stores posted a net loss of $127 million, less than the $146 million it posted the same time last year. That translates to $1.09 per...

Lowe's Cos. Inc. (LOW) is making changes to reach out to penny-pinching DIYers, urban homeowners and international markets. To ride out the housing downturn that's taken a bite out of its business, the home improvement company is adding services, opening more stores in urban markets and looking for...

The following is a round-up of some of the companies making major headlines today: Office products retailer Staples (SPLS) announced that second quarter earnings were $0.16 cents per share, excluding a one-time charge. That number was in-line with analyst estimates. Revenues of $5.5 billion were...

Warren Buffett might have slowed his stock purchases of late to focus on providing financing to certain distressed companies, but that doesn't mean the Oracle of Omaha's portfolio has been stagnant. Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK.A) equity portfolio rose to $48.95 billion according to an SEC filing,...

Home Depot Inc. (HD), the largest home improvement retailer, reported better-than-expected quarterly results. The numbers suggest that consumers are investing in their most valuable assets -- their homes -- as the economy continues its slow climb out of the worst economic crisis since the Great...

Lowe's Companies Inc. (LOW) this morning posted better-than-expected quarterly results, helped by cost cutting spurred by the downturn in the economy. Net income was $476 million, or 32 cents per share, down from $607 million, or 41 cents, a year earlier. Sales fell 1.5 percent to $11.8 billion,...