is pinning comeback hopes on, the chevy volt, today won the coveted "car of the year" crown from motortrend. still ahead, tonight's "word on the street" is "gold." with prices still over $1,300 an ounce, miners may be looking for buyouts. should you? thestreet.com's alix steel joins us. >> susie: positive news from the teen apparel sector is raising hopes for holiday sales. abercrombie & fitch reported a 29% increase in third quarter profits, but profit margins were hurt by heavy discounting. erika miller has more on whether merchants will see more green from teens this holiday season. >> reporter: at this charlotte russe store in manhattan today, customers were shopping for clothing and accessories. teen purchases are not just a predictor of fashion trends. retail analyst eric beder says they are also a barometer of discretionary spending overall. >> teen have tremendous amounts of discretionary income. their food, board and pretty much everything else is paid for by their parents. so really what the teens do with their money is they spend it. >> reporter: teen retailers were once believed