IN BRIEF
DETROIT
Car sales may be worst in decade, analysts say
Industry analysts are predicting a lackluster end to an already dismal year for automakers, likely the worst in nearly a decade.
Holiday discounts failed to bring consumers out of their funk, and December sales are expected to fall around 4 percent, which would bring the full-year total for U.S. auto sales to 16.1 million vehicles, the lowest volume since 1998.
Sales have been hurt by consumer anxiety over gasoline prices, the housing crunch and the overall weakening economy.
Industry watchers warn that the 2008 auto sales performance could be even weaker.
CINCINNATI
Macy's will close nine stores, displace staff
Macy's will close nine stores that employ a total of about 900 people, the retailer said Friday.
"While the decision to close stores is difficult, it is necessary that we do so selectively in locations with declining sales and where we have been unable to identify sufficient growth opportunities," said Terry Lundgren, Macy's chairman and CEO.
Macy's has faced disappointing sales and resistance from shoppers in some markets where the Macy's name replaced local favorites it absorbed as part of its acquisition of May department stores. The company last month swung to a profit of $33 million in the third quarter, in contrast to a slim loss the prior year.
In Ohio, Macy's is closing stores in Akron, Canton and North Randall. Other closures will be in Indianapolis; Oklahoma City; Lake Charles, La.; Dallas; Houston; and Riverdale, Utah.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.
Wal-Mart shuts down movie downloads
Wal-Mart Stores has closed an online movie download service it launched less than a year ago.
The retreat for Wal-Mart, which accounts for about 40 percent of all digital video disc sales, follows the company's 2005 decision to abandoned efforts to build an online DVD rental service. The world's largest retailer instead turned its rental service over to Netflix.
Wal-Mart still operates a music download service and continues to sell CDs and DVDs at retail stores and over the Internet for shipping by mail.
A message on Wal-Mart's video download Web site said the store closed Dec. 21. The Web site said customers who have already bought movies could continue to watch them.
NEW YORK
Illogical, true, Spock: 'Star Trek' stuff fake
A Trekkie who paid $6,000 for a poker visor that was supposedly worn by the android Data on the television show "Star Trek: The Next Generation" claims in a lawsuit against Christie's auction house that the prop is a fake.
Ted Moustakis, of Towaco, N.J., said he began to doubt the authenticity of the visor and other items he purchased at an auction of CBS Paramount props in 2006, after he brought it to a convention in August to have it autographed by the actor who played Data, Brent Spiner.
According to the lawsuit, Spiner recognized the visor as the one that had been sold by Christie's and told Moustakis that it wasn't the real deal. The actor had sold the real one a while ago.
Moustakis, who became a Star Trek fan at age 7, said he was humiliated.
"I thought this was a great piece of memorabilia to have, and I was so proud to get it," he said.
NEW YORK
Treasury prices rally, sending yields lower
Treasury prices rallied Friday, pushing yields lower after news that new home sales hit a more than 12-year low in November, suggesting weak construction will reduce economic growth next year.
The 10-year benchmark Treasury note advanced 0.81 points to close at 101.25 with a yield of 4.09 percent, down from 4.20 late Thursday. Prices and yields move in opposite directions.
The 30-year long bond shot up 1.66 to finish at 107.91 with a 4.51 percent yield, down from 4.62 percent late Thursday.
