During these trying times

Raised its fiscal third-quarter earnings forecast and expects revenue at the high end of its prior guidance, as the bottom line gets a boost from tax benefits, stronger margins and lower-than-anticipated operating expenses. Shares were up 3.3% to $17.52 in tiffany co jewelry trading.
Logic’s guidance raise helped offset news that Standard & Poor's said it would replace the company on its S&P 500 index with offshore-drilling contractor Noble Corp. (NE) to its S&P 500 index. S&P said Logic has a market capitalization that makes it more suitable for the midcap space. Noble's shares climbed 5.3% to $37.82 after hours.
Evergreen Solar Inc. (ESLRD) announced it intends to shut down operations at its Deveins, Mass., manufacturing facility by the end of the first quarter, saying while overall solar demand is strong, the U.S. is at a manufacturing disadvantage. As a result of the closure, Evergreen will record a non-cash charge of about $340 million associated with writing off the existing building, facilities and equipment. Shares rose 3.2% to $3.25 premarket.
Mistrals Group Inc.'s (MG) fiscal second-quarter profit grew 59% as revenue grew across all segments, helping results for the company, which assesses the safety of such large infrastructure components as nuclear power plants and bridges, tiffany engagement rings top Wall Street's expectations. Shares rose 31% to $18.15 in very light premarket trading.
Wet Seal Inc. (WTSLA) has named American Eagle Outfitters Inc.'s (AEO) Susan P. McGill as chief executive, replacing outgoing President and CEO Edmond Thomas. The retailer said tiffany necklace
Will join the company on Jan. 18 and will be based in Pittsburgh until she can relocate her family to southern California, which is expected to occur by Aug. 8 of this year. Wet Seal rose 1.2% to $3.48 premarket.
Watch List
Chevron Corp. (CVX) said it expects fourth-quarter earnings will rise from the prior quarter, due to higher crude-oil prices and a $400 million gain from the sale of an interest in U.S. pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline Co.
Dow Agro Sciences, a subsidiary of Dow Chemical Co. (DOW), and Pioneer Hi-Bred have reached a settlement in a dispute over the marketing of certain corn seeds by Pioneer, the companies announced Tuesday. As part of the agreement, Pioneer, a subsidiary of DuPont Co. (DD) will modify its packaging of corn hybrids that contained the Hercules brand insect protection, which the two companies jointly developed.
Retailer Genesco Inc. (GCO) lifted its earnings targets for the fourth quarter and fiscal year, citing stronger-than-expected sales for the quarter through Jan. 8. The footwear and hat retailer said that in the quarter through Jan. 8, same-store sales increased 9% from the tiffany charm bracelet period last year.
The stock has a 52 week low of $35.81 and 52 week high of $65.76. The market capitalization of the company stands at $7.71B and it has 126.40M outstanding shares. Tiffany & Co. is a holding company and conducts all business through its subsidiary companies. The Company’s principal subsidiary, Tiffany and Company, is a jeweler and specialty retailer whose principal merchandise offering is fine jewelry. The Company also sells timepieces, sterling silverware, china, crystal, stationery, fragrances and accessories. Through Tiffany and Company and other subsidiaries, the Company is engaged in product design, manufacturing and retailing activities. Its Americas segment includes sales in TIFFANY & CO. stores in the United States, Canada and Latin/South America, as well as sales of TIFFANY & CO. products in certain markets through business-to-business, Internet, catalog and tiffany co earrings operations. Its Asia-Pacific segment includes sales in TIFFANY & CO. stores, as well as sales of TIFFANY & CO. products in certain markets through business-to-business, Internet and wholesale operations.
Effective rents, or what tenants actually pay, dropped to an average $16.56 a square foot from $16.81 a year earlier and from $16.58 in the third quarter, the company said. Landlords’ asking rents fell to $19.05 a foot from $19.18 a year earlier and $19.07 the previous three months, according to Reis.
Regional Malls
At regional and super-regional malls, vacancies fell to 8.7 percent in the three months ended Dec. 31 from 8.8 percent both in the third quarter and a year earlier, Reis said. Mall tenants tend to sign longer-term leases, which helps stabilize vacancy rates, Severing said.
U.S. retailers’ 2010 holiday sales jumped 5.5 percent as shoppers snapped up clothing and jewelry at Macy’s Inc., Tiffany & Co. and other stores, according to MasterCard Advisors’ coach outlet store , which measures retail sales by all payment forms. That compared with a 4.1 percent gain a year earlier. The numbers include sales made over the Web.
Fluctuations in sales don’t correlate to retail vacancies quarter by quarter, said Doug Poetesses, the Boston-based head of strategy and research at No.1 coach outlet in the world Kennedy,
South Florida jewelers are hoping for a last-minute surge of procrastinating Christmas Eve shoppers -- which mean, mostly, men. A strong finish could turn what already is looking like a decent year for most jewelers into the best they've seen since the recession hit. Most jewelers will still be open Friday.
``People were scared before. Now they're spending again,'' said Raja Haitian, owner of Barclay's Jewelers in downtown Miami's Seybold building. ``It's a lot of smaller items, instead of the bigger stuff.''
While many of Haitian’s customers have cut their average purchase in half since 2007, he's glad they're buying.
Jewelry sales for the start of the holiday season are up 2.6 percent compared to last year, based on MasterCard Advisors Spending Pulse tracking sales between Oct. 31 and Dec. 11. Luxury jewelry sales are doing slightly better, up 2.8 percent.
Those sales run the gamut from $100 silver necklaces to diamond pendants for tens of thousands to collectible watches for more than $100,000.
Jewelers are hoping for more of those big sales to end the season on a strong note with holiday sales expected to rise 6 percent this season, according to a forecast from coach purses outlet
, which publishes industry research.
``I think people are hoping the worst is over,'' said Rob Bates, senior editor with Jewelers Circular Keystone, an industry trade publication. '
That's why viewers like "Donna in Maple Grove" haven't seen a wedding ring on Pierce's finger for months.
"Well, OK," said Pierce when read Dona’s e-mail, my most recent inquiry into the missing ring. Viewers do notice such things.
"They do," said Pierce.
Pierce and Babcock have one daughter together. "She's doing well, given the circumstances. She loves both her mom and dad. She just wants us to be happy and we want her to be happy, so we are all in agreement on that one," Pierce told me Wednesday.
One of Babcock's most successful projects has been producing "Triple Espresso."
During these trying times, Pierce has been enjoying the distractions associated with Monday's coach handbags outlet of "KARE 11 Today" at a new time -- 11 a.m. It was taken off the air a few years ago and replaced by "Showcase Minnesota," which has mercifully gone away.