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Not everyone is happy about the mild start to the cold-and-flu season. The nation's drugstore chains, already under pricing pressure from Walmart and each other, would be happier if the rest of us had coughs and sniffles. Here are bull and bear cases for the three big chains. [Video]

Walmart is giving a $50 gift card to each customer who buys an Apple iPhone 4.

Late-season earnings could help ring in some early holiday cheer for investors this week. Analysts expect strong results from Nike, Bed Bath & Beyond, Darden Restaurants -- which operates Olive Garden and Red Lobster -- and electronics company Jabil Circuit.

Walmart steps up efforts to penetrate the New York City market, hiring Mayor Bloomberg's former campaign manager to help coordinate the campaign.

Walmart hopes to make headway into the rural and poorer sections of China with small stores that are easy and cheap to build. The model is based to some extent on facilities the world's largest retailer operates in Mexico.

Despite continued high unemployment rates and other economic concerns, Internet spending this holiday season is expected to rise a whopping 11%.

The Dow tumbled Tuesday as part of a global sell-off in stocks fueled by further speculation that China will hike interest rates to fight inflation and renewed worries over the wobbly finances of Ireland, Portugal and Greece.

Consumers will start to see prices rising at the stores -- and soon, as the costs of commodities like cotton, sugar, and coffee are surging to record highs.

Beyond the next series of economic indicators, what really matters now is a strong holiday selling season. If it materializes, that could pole-vault the market to new highs, making 12,000 on the Dow by year-end well within reach. [Video]