Amazon.com Announces First Quarter Results

Scholastic, Hachette, Simon & Schuster and Penguin Random House are among the New York trade publishers responding to the humanitarian crisis in flood-ravaged Southeast Texas. Driven by a company-wide response, Scholastic made a $25,000 donation to the Red Cross to aid relief efforts in the area. Scholastic is also accepting requests for help from damaged schools via its Possible Fund, an initiative that donates books to schools in underserved communities (as well as those in areas affected by natural disasters). Additionally, the company's Scholastic Book Clubs is offering to help restock classroom libraries in areas harmed by floodwaters. Click Read More below for more of the story.

Urban Outfitters, Inc. announced net income of $89 million and record third quarter earnings per diluted share of $0.89 for the three months ended October 31, 2021. For the nine months ended October 31, 2021, net income was $270 million and record first nine-month period earnings per diluted share were $2.71. Total Company net sales for the three months ended October 31, 2021, were a record $1.13 billion. Net sales increased 14.6% compared to the three months ended October 31, 2019. Comparable Retail segment net sales increased 14%, driven by strong double-digit growth in digital channel sales, partially offset by mid-single-digit negative retail store sales primarily due to reduced store traffic. By brand, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 55% at the Free People Group, 9% at the Anthropologie Group and 7% at Urban Outfitters. Total Retail segment net sales increased 16%. Wholesale segment net sales decreased 15% primarily from reducing the Free People Group’s sales to promotional wholesale custom ers. For the nine months ended October 31, 2021, total Company net sales increased 14.3% compared to the nine months ended October 31, 2019. Comparable Retail segment net sales increased 16%, driven by strong double-digit growth in digital channel sales, partially offset by low double-digit negative retail store sales due to reduced store traffic resulting from temporary store closures and occupancy restrictions in Europe and Canada. Wholesale segment net sales decreased 23% primarily from reducing the Free People Group’s sales to promotional wholesale customers.

Nearly 180 million American workers currently pay into the Social Security system. But upwards of 150 million of them have not recently viewed an accounting of what they’ve contributed, what Social Security income they can anticipate for retirement and other vital details. This because most stopped receiving an annual paper statement in the mail years ago. And the overwhelming majority cannot or do not access this information online. The data makes clear that most wage earners do not have essential knowledge about their personal Social Security benefits, which for many will be their primary or significant source of income in their later years. Fortunately, the solution is simple: direct the Social Security Administration (SSA) to mail all workers aged 25 and older an annual paper statement, just like they did up until 2010. This is precisely what bipartisan legislation recently reintroduced in the U.S. Congress would do. Appropriately named the “Know Your Social Security Act,” the measure has strong support from citizens, consumer groups, advocates for seniors, cybersecurity experts and financial planners.