Business news digest

REGION

Economic forecast
planned for Jan. 23

LIBERTY — The Regional Chamber and Shenango Valley Chamber are bringing together local and regional experts to predict trends in the economy at the Economic Forecast Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Jan. 23 at the Holiday Inn MetroPlex. Dr. Ned Hill, professor of economic development at Cleveland State University, will speak. The breakfast also will feature presentations by local officials on the state of the economy in the Youngstown-Warren-Sharon region. For reservations, call Jennifer Mascardine at (330) 744-2131, Ext. 12, or register online at www.regionalchamber.com. The cost is $20 for chamber members and $25 for others.

NATION

Sears expects to post
earnings below forecasts

CHICAGO — Sears Holdings Corp. told investors Monday that it would likely post fourth-quarter earnings well below Wall Street forecasts as eroding sales push its profit down as much as 57 percent. The retailer said it expects to earn between $350 million and $470 million, or $2.59 to $3.48 per share, for the quarter ending Feb. 2 — far less than the $4.43 per share sought by analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial. Sears earned $820 million in the fourth quarter a year earlier.

From Vindicator staff and wire reports