Late Market Roundup (JWN, ZUMZ, WTSLA, ANF, UAUA, DAL, CAL, TSN, C, BAC, MCO)

US retail stocks increased their gains, as companies reported strong sales driven by a rise in promotions. Nordstrom Inc

gained the most after reporting upbeat same-store sales. Shares of Zumiez Inc

and Wet Seal Inc

also moved up after the retailers reported better-than-expected sales for August. Shares of Abercrombie & Fitch Co

moved down about 5.50% as the company announced a 9% decline in its same-store kid's sales. The S&P Retail Index (RLX) rose about 3.74%. Airline stocks rose along with the broader market today, with UAL Corp

and Delta Air Lines

leading the list. Shares of Continental Airlines

moved up about 0.30%. The NYSE Arca Airline Index (XAL) gained about 0.13%. Moody's Investors Service has upgraded the corporate family and probability of default ratings of Tyson Foods Inc

from “Ba3” to “Ba2.” The upgrade in rating was based on the considerable progress in TSN's debt capital structure. Moody's has also lifted the rating outlook of Tyson from “stable” to “positive.” The ratings agency said, "Moody's continues to believe that feed input costs are likely to remain manageable despite the pressure from the rising cost of wheat due to the drought in Russia. An improving export market and attractive pricing for the protein sector is expected to continue although increased production in the chicken sector should temper profitability somewhat." The US financial sector made slight advances as investors reacted positively towards the latest economic data, comprising of weekly jobless claims and pending home sales. Shares of Citigroup Inc

rose about 0.72%, while Bank of America Corp

gained about 0.17%. Shares of Moody's Corp

surged about 2.76% after analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods initiated coverage of the company with a “market perform” rating. The Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (

) moved up about 0.13%. Read more