Consumer Cos Up Ahead of Walmart, Target Earnings -- Consumer Roundup

Shares of retailers and other consumer-services companies recouped some of their recent losses even as another major chain reported lackluster sales. JCPenney said same-store sales, or sales in stores open a year or more, fell 1.3%, a lesser rate of decline than in previous quarters, but still indicative of a company struggling to lure customers from Internet competition. The report echoed those from rivals Macy's and Kohl's on Thursday. Walmart and Target shares were more or less flat ahead of their earnings next week. The consumer-price index, a measure of prices for a broad range of goods and services, increased 0.1% in July from the prior month.

--Rob Curran, rob.curran@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 11, 2017 16:32 ET (20:32 GMT)