Retailers 3Q Earnings Dismal; Cisco Sees Small Biz Sales Growth; Blackstone Posts $502 million 3Q Loss; IEA Sees $100 Oil Average; Mattel Toying with Job Cuts; Direct TV Earnings Up; Fidelity Cuts 1,300 jobs; Jobless Claims Fall

In 1986, the U.S. government created a tax loophole for a handful of special American businesses. The government wanted to give these businesses a big incentive to expand the national infrastructure. So it gave them an incredible advantage: They don’t have to pay corporate tax.

Wholesale Prices Soar; U.S. Bancorp Sees Earnings Slide; Johnson & Johnson Enjoys 40% Jump in Profit; China Buys 1% of BP for $1.7 Billion; Brazil’s Retail Sales Hit Four-Year Record; Crocs Stock Drops; Intel Profit Down; Big Loss for WaMu.

Boeing Struggles to Get 787 Off Ground; Citigroup Sells $12 Billion in Loans; UPS Failing to Deliver; American Airlines Cancels 1,000 Flights; IBCB Expects 50% First-Quarter Profit Spike; Hershey Trust CEO to Retire; New Oil High; Wholesale Inventories Climb.