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Nike has reported a fiscal second-quarter profit of $457 million, or 94 cents a share, up from $375 million, or 76 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue rose to $4.84 billion from $4.41 billion.

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Shares of Office Depot Inc. (ODP) surged as much as 10% Wednesday as investors interpreted the office-supplies retailer's new change-of-control agreement with three executives as a sign takeover talks could be in the offing.

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) is taking its vow to open smaller stores very seriously, planning a location that is 2% the size of its average supercenter, and by far the tiniest Wal-Mart store yet.

Almost 74 percent of shoppers completed gift buying in the week ended Dec. 18, spurring faster sales growth than the previous three weeks.

Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has announced plans to test a small-format store, with the launch of a first-of-its-kind, on-campus location at the University of Arkansas. According to the company, the 10,000-sq.-ft. store will open in January and is part of the retailer’s plan to launch more small- and medium-size stores in 2011. The big-box retailer has said there are many opportunities in the United States for small-format stores in urban areas where its traditional format has trouble entering. Currently, Walmart operates more than 8,600 retail units under 55 different banners in 15 countries. SAVE | EMAIL | PRINT

CHICAGO -- Shares of Walgreen Co . rose more than 8% early Thursday on the back of a better-than-expected fiscal first quarter profit report. Walgreen earned $580 million, or 62 cents a share, on the period, up from $489 million, or 49 cents, in the same quartet a year ago and well ahead of the 54-cent a share average estimate of analysts polled by FactSet Research. Sales in the quarter ended Nov. 30 were up 6% to $17.3 billion, with same-store sales -- those at outlets open at least a year -- rose 0.8%. The stock gained $3.10 to

American Eagle Outfitters has announced plans to open American Eagle Outfitters and Aerie by American Eagle stores in Japan. The first store is slated to open in Tokyo's Harajuku shopping district in the first half of 2012.

Christopher & Banks Corp. (CBK) swung to a fiscal third-quarter loss on charges, as the women's clothing retailer's sharp deterioration in comparable sales and margin wasn't as bad as it had warned. Shares were down 1.4% at $5.67 after hours.

Department store operator Dillard's Inc. (DDS) announced it would establish its second Internet-focused facility, as it agreed to purchase a former Target Corp.

In a move that's expected to help businesses grow and garner millions of dollars in revenue for the U.S. Postal Service, the agency announced that it's easing the rules on simplified addressing to allow businesses to begin using the format on city delivery routes.