Discounts drive US retail sales; profits a worry (Reuters) word look up  

yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060105/bs_nm/retail_sales_dc">minute shoppers are seen at Macy’s in New York, December 24, 2005. U.S. retailers met modest December sales goals on Thursday as deep discounts drew budget-conscious holiday shoppers, but a disappointing profit forecast from Wal-Mart raised concerns about the vital fourth quarter. (Seth Wenig/Reuters)" border="0" />Reuters - Deep December discounts lured holiday shoppers and pushed sales slightly ahead of modest expectations, top U.S. retailers reported on Thursday, but a disappointing profit forecast from Wal-Mart raised concerns about the vital fourth quarter.