Sales Growth

The number of homes sold in the Baltimore metro area last month dropped sharply from January, but the decline likely doesn't mean the market is taking a turn for the worse. There were just under 1,500 closed sales in Baltimore and its neighboring counties during February, a 5.7 percent drop from the first month of the year, according to data released Monday by RealEstate Business Intelligence LLC. It's not unheard of for sales numbers to drop off between January and February.

Home sales numbers released Wednesday for March offer an early indication that this spring might be the best selling season since the recession, provided that there are enough homes on the market to keep up with demand. Last month, Baltimore-area buyers entered into more than 3,200 contracts to buy homes, the first March to surpass that mark since 2007, the year the recession began, according to data collected by Metropolitan Regional Information Systems Inc., the region's multiple listing service, and its affiliate, Real Estate Business Intelligence LLC. The number of homes that went under contract last month was up 5.6 percent from March 2012, RBI said.

For the fourth month in a row, the number of homes sold in the Baltimore area increased at a double-digit rate, rising more than 15 percent in January compared with the same month last year. In Baltimore and five neighboring counties, sales closed on nearly 1,540 residences last month, about 200 units more than in January 2012, according to data released Monday by RealEstate Business Intelligence LLC, an affiliate of the region's multiple-listing service. That's about 200 units short of the 10-year average for January sales.

The number of homes sold in the Baltimore metro area last month dropped sharply from January, but the decline likely doesn't mean the market is taking a turn for the worse. There were just under 1,500 closed sales in Baltimore and its neighboring counties during February, a 5.7 percent drop from the first month of the year, according to data released Monday by RealEstate Business Intelligence LLC. It's not unheard of for sales numbers to drop off between January and February.

NEW YORK -- Retail sales growth in the week after Thanksgiving fell to 3.1 percent, the slowest rate in four years, as consumers delayed holiday purchases to wait for discounts. A longer shopping period between Thanksgiving and Christmas contributed to consumers' delays, the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and UBS Securities LLC said yesterday. Their survey showed that 25 percent of shoppers finished most of their purchases by Sunday, down from 32 percent the previous two years.

JP Foodservice Inc. of Columbia saw its stock jump more than 5 percent yesterday after a strong quarterly earnings report, driven by sales growth four times faster than the pace the company had predicted after going public in late 1994.JP Foodservice, a restaurant supply business that used to be part of Sara Lee Corp., said it earned $1.4 million on sales of $295.8 million during the three months that ended March 30, compared with $1.5 million in the same period last year. The quarter is the third in the company's fiscal year.

What are your expectations for my shares of Kellogg Co.? It is a longtime holding. - C.M., via the Internet The world's largest cereal-maker has powerful brands and a knack for introducing successful products. Special K, Pop Tarts, Eggo, Keebler cookies and crackers, Frosted Flakes, Corn Flakes and Fruit Loops are among its famous products. It also regularly serves up new items, such as Special K with Red Berries. Second-quarter profits increased 13 percent on North American and European gains, with sales rising 9 percent.

ZAANDAM, Netherlands - Royal Ahold NV, the world's largest food distributor, said yesterday that sales growth slowed in the third quarter as U.S. consumers spent less in grocery stores. Shares of the Dutch company fell 8.1 percent. Sales rose 5.8 percent to 16.4 billion euros ($16 billion), helped by the $2.2 billion acquisition of Alliant Foodservice, said spokeswoman Annemiek Louwers. That's slower than the 7.3 percent gain in the second quarter and 22 percent in the first. The United States accounts for about 60 percent of the sales of the Dutch owner of Landover-based Giant Food Inc. and U.S. Foodservice of Columbia.

ROUND ROCK, Texas -- Dell Computer Corp. shares fell 9.7 percent yesterday after the biggest direct-seller of personal computers reported its second straight quarter of slowing sales growth.Shares in Dell fell $4.25 to $39.8125 in trading of 65.1 million shares, making it the most active U.S. stock. The shares are still up 9 percent on the year, while well below the record $55 reached Feb. 1. Yesterday's drop slashed about $1.55 billion off the value of Chairman Michael Dell's holdings.The company said sales for the first quarter that ended April 30 rose 41 percent, less than the year-ago quarter's increase of 51 percent and slower than the 54 percent growth Dell averaged in the previous eight quarters.

Power-tool maker Black & Decker Corp. said profit jumped 51 percent in the third quarter, led by double-digit sales growth in its DeWalt line of professional products. Net earnings rose to $112.5 million, or $1.37 per share, in the quarter that ended Sept. 26, from $74.4 million, or 95 cents per share, in the third quarter a year earlier, the company said yesterday. Excluding discontinued operations, the company had quarterly earnings of $111.3 million, or $1.35 per share, compared with $73.2 million, or 94 cents per share, a year earlier.

For the fourth month in a row, the number of homes sold in the Baltimore area increased at a double-digit rate, rising more than 15 percent in January compared with the same month last year. In Baltimore and five neighboring counties, sales closed on nearly 1,540 residences last month, about 200 units more than in January 2012, according to data released Monday by RealEstate Business Intelligence LLC, an affiliate of the region's multiple-listing service. That's about 200 units short of the 10-year average for January sales.

December was another positive month for home sales in metro Baltimore, though the market supply of homes continued to dwindle, dropping below 10,000 for the first time since February 2006. Last month, 1,945 home sales closed in Baltimore and its five surrounding counties, according to data released Monday by RealEstate Business Intelligence LLC, an affiliate of the region's multiple-listing service. That's a 3.6 percent drop from November, but a nearly 13 percent year-over-year increase.

December was another positive month for home sales in metropolitan Baltimore, though the market supply of homes continued to dwindle, dropping below 10,000 for the first time since February 2006. Last month, 1,945 home sales closed in Baltimore and its five surrounding counties, according to data released by RealEstate Business Intelligence LLC, an affiliate of the region's multiple-listing service. That's a 3.6 percent drop from November, but nearly a 13 percent increase over December 2011.

In a race to beat other retailers in sales growth, Under Armourmay not have won gold,  but the athletic apparel brand secured fifth place - not bad out of a field of 100. The Baltimore company was the fifth fastest growing retailer in the U.S. last year, with a 63 percent leap in annual domestic sales, according to an industry list released today. The Hot 100 Retailers, Stores magazine's ranking of the nation's fastest-growing chains based on year-over-year domestic sales, lists an organic supermarket, smart phone providers and merchants in high-end workout apparel and accessories categories in the top 10. Another Maryland retailer, Jos. A. Bank Clothiers, also earned distinction, becoming one of only a dozen retailers that has made the list for seven consecutive years.

Despite a sluggish economy that has many consumers pinching pennies, Marylanders are still willing to pony up a buck for a chance to win big. For the 15th consecutive year, the Maryland Lottery reported an increase in ticket sales, pumping more money than ever into the state treasury. Maryland sold $1.795 billion in lottery tickets during fiscal 2012 — $80.4 million more than the prior year, the state lottery agency announced Monday. The lottery contributed $556 million to the state's operations, 7 percent more than last year, and was the state's fourth-largest source of revenue, after sales, income and corporate taxes.

Baltimore residential real estate broker Bonnie Fleck is no stranger to luxury. "I think it might be because my very first car was an Audi," Fleck said when asked why she chooses luxury cars instead of more utilitarian models. She also wants to give clients a comfortable ride as they drive from home to home, so she leases a new high-end car every few years. On Thursday, she picked up a black sedan at Lexus of Towson, which sold 208 vehicles last month — 60 more than May 2011, said Mike Meagher, the dealership's general manager.

Seattle-based Starbucks Corp., which reported slower-than-expected sales growth for July, saw its stock weaken yesterday for the second time in a week.Yesterday's 12 percent drop to $41.875 a share reflects concerns about the gourmet coffee retailer's ventures to extend its brand, rather than signaling a slowdown in consumers' consumption of specialty coffee drinks, analysts said."The businesses they're going into that are not retail store-oriented are ramping up a little more slowly than expected, and the costs associated with them are greater than expected," said Andy Barish, an analyst with BancAmerica Robertson Stephens in San Francisco.

It's no longer taboo to spend money lavishly if sales of high-end goods are any indicator. And that bodes well for retailers this Valentine's Day. A resurgence in spending by the luxury consumer is expected to benefit stores that sell accessories, jewelry and apparel. And even the average shopper may be inclined to splurge for a day typically associated with pricier gifts. Men, who outnumber women 2-to-1 in buying for the holiday, are expected to spend $150 to $200 on average.

Harley-Davidson Inc. Shares declined $2.68, or 6.8 percent, to $36.95. The biggest U.S. motorcycle maker was cut to "sell" from "hold" at Citigroup Inc., which said slower U.S. sales growth may hurt earnings.