"Costco January same-store sales beat Street, up 4% vs. 3.3% estimate" at Reuters.  "January net sales grew 6 percent to $7.99 billion.  Excluding the negative impact of foreign exchange and falling gasoline prices, same-store sales rose 6 percent."  Read more   "Costco's Net Sales Up $48 Billion in January" (Company Release). "Costco Wholesale Corporation today reported net sales of $7.99 billion for the month of January, the four weeks ended February 2, 2014, an increase of six percent from $7.51 billion during the similar four-week period last year."  Read the release   "HVAC Firm at Center of Target Data [...]

  New Details Emerge in "Shakedown" of Home Depot by New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin" by Juliet Linderman at Times-Picayune.  "Knutson, who took the stand after Price, responded to Blake that "most likely, it's about Nagin's son's desire to be a vendor to Home Depot to install kitchens/countertops for us using a company that he and his dad own together. Knowing how New Orleans operates, the mayor will be certain to plug his family business."  But in a separate email to his associates, Knutson was more frank about Nagin's tactics.  "There is NO REASON for our CEO to be involved with [...]

  "Wal-Mart to invest $500 million in Canada, create 7,500 jobs" at Reuters.  "Wal-Mart said on Tuesday it planned to complete 35 supercentre projects in Canada by January 31, 2015, adding one million square feet of retail space.  Wal-Mart's store count in Canada will rise to 395 by the end of January 2015, including 282 supercentres and 113 discount stores, the retailer said."  Read more   "Let the Grilling Begin:  Target CFO to Appear Before Senate Judiciary Committee Today (and House on Wednesday)" by Jennifer Bjorhus & Jim Spencer at Star-Tribune.  "CFO John Mulligan will testify before the Senate Judiciary [...]

  "In Shocking Upset, RadioShack Wins the Super Bowl" by Ken Wheaton at Ad Age.  "This year, aside from star rankings -- four stars being best, two being perfectly serviceable and below that, well, you know -- we arranged them from best to worst, top to bottom. Are you surprised that RadioShack is in the top spot? I definitely was."  See Ad Age's Ranking of Ads   "Alleged Target Hacker Says He Values 'Kindness and Honesty' " by Jennifer Bjorhus at Star-Tribune.  "Shabayev’s page on a popular Russian social network, displayed on IntelCrawler’s website, shows a photo of him playing [...]