Strike Three For Sears (at Forbes.com)

Paging Eddie Lampert: the Sears ship is sinking fast. The billionaire investor's retail chain stunned investors Monday by announcing that fourth-quarter results would be well below expectations because of declining sales and deep discounts. Sears Holdings (nasdaq: ), which owns the Kmart line, said it would report profits of $2.59 to $3.48 a share, or $350 to $470 million, for the upcoming quarter. Analysts were hoping for $4.43 a share. For the fiscal year, the company predicts profits of $5.23 to $5.96 a share, a range that was also below the Street's call of $6.64 a share. Like many retailers, Sears has been hit hard by the housing crunch, recession fears, rising fuel prices, and unfavorable weather, but Sears' fast decline seems unproportionate to its peers. Shares of Sears plunged 7.4%, or $7.10, to $89.07, in morning... [read full story]