Electronic stores report growth

The nation's two largest electronics stores reported high double-digit sales growth in the fourth quarter. Best Buy Co. Inc.'s earnings for the period surpassed analysts' expectations by a penny a share, while Circuit City Stores Inc. met Wall Street estimates.

Best Buy, the nation's leading electronics chain, credited strong sales of digital products and entertainment software as well as expense controls, for its 84 percent surge in profits. But while sales in the current quarter are modestly ahead of expectations, the company expects that per-share earnings, under pressure by acquisition-related matters and softening music sales, will be below analysts' estimates.

Best Buy will open a store in Cape Girardeau in a few months.

Meanwhile, its closest rival, Circuit City, said sales of big screen TVs and digital televisions as well as wireless phones helped boost its profits by 51 percent.