Stocks Profile

It’s reasonable to be a little worried about companies tied to this year’s back-to-school sales season, given the weak economy and consumers’ unwillingness to crack open their pocketbooks.

But we’re seeing some early signs of hope Thursday. As Dow Jones Newswires reporter Karen Talley points out, some retailers’ August sales are beating expectations. For several apparel retailers, in particular, same-store sales for the month are defying predictions. Even warehouse club Costco has turned in impressive numbers, while Hot Topic, Wet Seal and Zumiez are also defying predictions.

Full post…