Stocks edged up in early morning trading today (Thursday) as an uptick in producer prices and steady earnings from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) outweighed a surge in jobless claims last week.

The U.S. trade deficit grew in October as both the volume of oil exports and our trade deficit with China surged to a record highs. A widening deficit means the United States will not be able to rely on trade to help pull the economy out of what may be the longest recession in the post-World War II era.

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

Retail sales actually went up last month – how is that even possible?…The Beige Book says the U.S. economy is ‘generally weak’… The sky’s the limit for electronic money – but not so for real wealth…America’s money is snapping back… Calling into question the U.S.’s car culture…the next big thing in the search for an energy alternative…and more!

In the currency market, the dollar was sharply higher against the euro. Late Tuesday, the euro was trading at $1.5434 vs. $1.5536 on Monday.

In the currency market, the dollar continues to plummet against the euro. Late Wednesday, the euro was trading at $1.5791 vs. $1.5647 on Tuesday.

While everyone has been focusing on the credit crunch, the real economy is taking a kicking. It’s hard to see how anyone ever believed that such a dramatic downturn in the financial markets could fail to have an impact on the high street, but plenty did.