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

Unprecendented government action is beginning to thaw credit markets. Commercial paper is being traded again. But this credit crisis is far from over, says William Patalon III. The trickle of finance will only reach top-grade companies. The weak will either go bankrupt or be swallowed up by their healthier rivals.

With Americans driving less and banks tightening the screw, Detroit’s “Big Three” — Ford, GM and Chrysler, could be the next big bailout. “Life is a highway, and I wanna drive it all night long…” - Tom Cochrane

Plagued by plummeting U.S. sales and $4-a-gallon gasoline, General Motors Corp. (GM) may sell its four-foot-tall Chevrolet Beat in U.S. markets, sources told Bloomberg News. The subcompact three-door hatchback was unveiled at last year’s New York International Car Show, though GM said it would be produced overseas and wouldn’t immediately be sold in the United States.

Merck Doubles Profit; Arch Coal Heats Up First Quarter; Northwest Bankcorp Bolstered by Visa IPO; Profit Dives for Bank of America; National City Posts Loss, Slashes Dividend; Mattel Profit Drops; Strong Hasbro Results; Lowered Expectations for MF Global.