profits were up at autozone, but the auto parts company ran into sales trouble at the end of the year and is losing steam as customers await tax refunds. shares yesterday hit a clunker, falling a couple dollars. in an attempt to improve safety, harley davidson will no longer play music on its factory floor. music is a staple in many factories and jobs that involve a lot of reptition. but not after this week at the motorcycle maker. as a company spokesperson put it, "it's important for people to become focused on what they do." the music industry is finally recording a revenue uptick - the first since 1999. it was one of the first businesses to feel the full effect of the digital blues and the ensuing plumet in profits. global sales rose a scant 0.3% last year, but that's enough to give hope that the industry may finally be able to sing a new, profitable, tune. still to come, juggling college costs remains a worry for most americans. how to start saving early. that's later on. but first, if you've ever wondered if trip insurance was worth the cost, stay tuned. why it may be able to hel

near the autozone.d -3 tonight, several kids were here where they lost a very friend. 3&p 33 at thh corner of harford - road and parkttwne road.. there's a gathering.. at least 100 teenagers o reeember a teeeager.. aaloved one.. a friend.(maat/best friend) "i just mmss im. i wish he as still hhre on this eerth. bbt, tooay is the one year phat hh passed away riiht -- here.. and it's just killinn me insiie, slowll and slowly.. and i don'ttknow what else tt &pdo." michhel thomas trulluk tumbled out of a car on harford road.. nd waa struck and killed in trrffic. he was 13-years-old. it happened on a ssturday iiht a year ago this nighh. one can of four loko.. a became ill.. then opened his door to vomit...he fell out of the caa.. and was hit by on cooing traffic. at the --3&pviggl, not much talk about that......(ms. watt/faaily & friend) "but i hope it's a lesson leerned and these kids don't drinkkanymore.. don't do things thee're not uppose tt. because, this is what happens." michael's accident may have bee

and job cutting sequester and delayed tax refunds from the irs, said on the autozone call to total moreillion, all added up to what have been tremendously disappointing earnings to the retailers, the thesis makes since, so easier applied. and right after we were certain, every consumer should have been blown out by what we refer to as headwinds. how could the retailers duct the headwinds? the thesis investors put up short after short after short from the headwinds and the etfs she shorted, the discounters, retailers, and the big housing derivative retailers, and the facts got in the way of the story and the shorts forced to cover. walmart started off much better quarterly report and some tried to seize on the outlook muted. and they were trying to short the spreading of the bad word. let me go to home depot and macy's. two of the powerful retailers, and there was not only spending weakness, but spending might be accelerated. when we last left the dollar stores, it was a total debacle. lots of chat about the climbing gross margins, kiss of death. dollar tree reported beautiful numbers an

autozone is a play on the better economy as consumers repair their cars. visa, for transactions. david: well, michael, like most folks you have mixed feelings about the markets but about where the markets are going for here. explain those mixed feelings. on the one hand there are some very positive signs with consumer sentiment we mentioned. but there are negatives as well. how does it all balance out in the end? >> the market, the trend is your friend, right? so i think the market continues to gradually move higher but it is not without the risk of a pullback. so all those positive catalysts on the one side that mentioned, on the other hand you have washington and what is going on here in our backyard, kind of driving fear. and you also have, i don't think we've seen kind of come through the system yet what the payroll tax holiday, what kind of effect that's going to have. the note, mentioned at the top of the hour with wal-mart, that could be a part of the story. we've seen the dollar stores have had a hard time in january for month over month sales. so, i don't disagree. we're

we can expect sales at radioshack, lower profits at autozone, kind of a mixed bag and no reaction on in and that puts the stock down about 1 1/2%. no, 4 1/2%, disappointing outlook from the shoe company steve mann, down it goes, $2 lower. and improving housing market and hurricane sandy helped to boost home depot profits. nice gain, a dow component henning the overall market up 4% there. so let's check that market. we're up 82 points on the dow now. remember, we were down 200 points yesterday. the progress of the market really entirely depend on what ben bernanke says at ten o'clock this morning and you will know when everybody else knows. we know. the price of-- let's check the price of oil, that came down a lot yesterday. down a bit more today. $92 per barrel. as for the price of gold, it's been falling, near seven-month lows and after the break i've got a guess who says people are using the drop in price as an opportunity to buy. they're buying gold coins. we'll have the numbers for you in just a moment. (announcer) scottrade knows our clients trade and invest their own way. with