In February it gave an earnings range of $1

In February, it gave an earnings range of $1.10 to $1.40 per share on the same sales decline.Kohl’s shares closed down at $41.24 on the New York Stock Exchange after rising as high as $43.94 earlier.Nordstrom shares rose to $21.60 in after-hours trading after closing at $20.95, up 3.4 percent.(Reporting by Aarthi Sivaraman and Alexandria Sage; Editing by Edwin Chan and Andre Grenon) Hot Stocks France. SACRAMENTO, California (Reuters) – California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday proposed harsh measures to tackle a budget shortfall of at least $15.4 billion, including deep spending cuts for schools and health programs and the elimination of 5,000 state jobs. Net profit fell to $137 million, or 45 cents per share, from $153 million, or 49 cents per share, a year earlier.Better controlled inventory led to less discounted merchandise in stores, the company said.Kohl’s raised its full-year per-share profit forecast to $2.42 from $2.19, above an earlier estimate of $2.00 to $2.30 per share. But analysts expected $2.55 a share.Retailers are using different tactics they hope will keep shoppers coming back despite the downturn. Kohl’s is selling exclusive brands from designers and celebrities, such as Dana Buchman and Lauren Conrad, while J.C.

Nordstrom shares, which gained over 3 percent in regular trading, added another 3 percent after hours.Despite a 32 percent drop in quarterly net profit, upscale chain Nordstrom cited lower costs, lean inventory and credit card revenue, tempered by increasing bad debt expenses, for its brighter 2009 earnings outlook.Profit margins improved at Kohl’s, a mid-price department store, and the company cited gains in market share as sales rose a meager 0.4 percent.That outshone Nordstrom’s 9.2 percent fall in sales and sharp revenue drops at rivals, all of which have struggled to entice consumers to spend in the face of fear of job losses, home foreclosures and tight access to credit.Analysts cautioned the retail sector remained in the doldrums.”It tells us it’s tough out there. [ID:nT324889] (Reporting by Aiko Hayashi; Editing by Michael Watson) Stocks  |  Asian Markets  |  Global Markets Stocks Asian Markets Global Markets. NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Kohl’s Corp (KSS.N) and Nordstrom Inc (JWN.N) beat quarterly profit estimates and raised their 2009 earnings views, defying a still precarious environment for department stores in which both well-to-do and budget shoppers are paring back. Hot Stocks  |  FranceTheir results, helped by tighter expense controls and leaner inventories, presented investors with a speck of good news about a struggling industry that has endured months of dismal sales amid the recession.But Kohl’s raised forecast was still below Wall Street estimates and its shares closed the regular session down 1.7 percent and held steady in after-hours trading. proxy advisory firm Glass, Lewis & Co said it isrecommending shareholders of Japanese wig maker Aderans tosupport board members proposed by top shareholder U.S hedge fundSteel Partners. [ID:nT351000] — Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (8306.T) Mitsubishi UFJ, Japan’s biggest bank, said it would cancelits plan to pay $262 million for Citigroup’s (C.N) Japanese trustbank. [ID:nT343687] –Tokyo Electron (8035.T) Tokyo Electron, the world’s No.2 chip equipment maker,reported a second straight quarterly loss as its sales halved,and forecast a record annual loss even as it seeks new revenuefrom solar equipment [ID:nT98209] — Aderans Holdings (8170.T) U.S.

sales of video games fell 17 percent in April to $1.03billion, research group NPD said on Thursday, the second steepmonthly decline in a row. Nintendo’s Wii was the top-selling game console again inApril, although sales fell more than 50 percent from a yearearlier to 340,000 units, NPD said. [ID:nN14520479] — Toyota Motor Co (7203.T) Toyota is planning one of the most drastic managementoverhauls in its 70-year history next month when Akio Toyoda,grandson of the Japanese car company’s founder, takes over aschief executive, the Financial Times reported on its website.[ID:nN14487126] — Sumitomo Corp (8053.T) Sumitomo will acquire interests in six oil fields in the UKNorth Sea through the purchase of Dutch oil developerOranje-Nassau Energie BV jointly with two European firms, theNikkei business daily said. [ID:nBNG364230] — Konica Minolta Holdings (4902.T) Konica Minolta said on Thursday it planned to expand itsrange of high-tech film for LCD panels in a move to broaden itscustomer base.

Mizuho, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (8316.T) andPanasonic Corp (6752.T) are among companies set to announceresults later in the day.———————-MARKET SNAPSHOT 2312 GMT ———— INSTRUMENT LAST PCT CHG NET CHGS&P 500 .SPX 893.07 1.04% 9.150USD/JPY JPY= 95.980.06% 0.06010-YR US TSY YLDUS10YT=RR3.0994– 0.007SPOT GOLD XAU= 925.60.03% 0.250US CRUDECLc1 58.58 -0.07%-0.040DOW JONES .DJI 8331.320.56% 46.43————————————————————-> Wall Street boosted by return to banks, tech [.N]> US dollar rises versus yen as stocks rebound [USD/]> Bonds rise on jobs data despite higher stocks [US/]> Gold rises on weak dollar, inflation worries [GOL/]> Oil rises, tracking U.S stocks [O/R] STOCKS TO WATCH — Nintendo (7974.OS) U.S. Japanese machinery orders probably fell inMarch after rising in February for the first time in five months,according to a Reuters poll, showing it will take time forcapital spending to recover from the recession. [ID:nT288253] “The market may cheer a slight rise in the New York market,but a firm yen will likely weigh. Generally, though, I believethe Nikkei will be range-bound in the lower 9,000 level for awhile as it had gained sharply,” said Yoku Ihara, manager atRetela Crea Securities.

“Still, the clear mood of today’s trade will be decided bymoves in shares of Sony and Mizuho.” Sony forecast its operating loss for the year ending in March2010 would halve to 110 billion yen from the 227.8 billion losslast year and less than a consensus forecast of a 132.9 billionyen loss in a poll of 20 analysts by Thomson Reuters.[ID:nT305312] Nikkei futures traded in Chicago closed at 9,140 on Thursday,up 0.1 percent from the Osaka close JNIc1, pointing to almost aflat start. Market participants expect the benchmark Nikkei .N225 tomove between 9,000 and 9,200 on Friday. It fell 2.6 percent theprevious day to 9,093.73, its lowest close since May 1. stocks slightly recoveredground after a brief pullback, but Sony Corp (6758.T) will be infocus after it forecast a second straight year of losses. Mizuho Financial Group Inc (8411.T) will likely be anotherbig focus after the Nikkei business daily reported Japan’s No.2bank is finalising plans to raise around 800 billion yen ($8.37billion), with 600 billion yen likely coming from a common stockoffering. [ID:nBNG471831] Investors will also watch machinery orders data due beforethe start of trade. Univision Communications has televisionnetwork operations in Miami and television and radio stations and salesoffices in major cities throughout the United States.For more information, please visit Amor of FORMULATIN, +1-212-219-0321, ; or LaraMigliassi of Univision Networks, +1-305-640-3711, ,both for Tecate.