Boeing deliveries hit estimate for 2004

Boeing Co. said Wednesday it delivered 67 commercial airplanes in the fourth quarter, finishing 2004 with 285 to match its estimate but trailing rival Airbus for a second straight year.

Airbus SAS said two weeks ago it was on track to deliver as many as 320 aircraft, up from 305 the previous year when it surpassed Boeing for the first time.

Boeing’s 2004 total was up from 281 a year earlier but still short of the 381 deliveries of 2002 and 527 of 2001. The company expects to deliver about 320 planes in 2005 as global markets gradually revive.

Apparel

American Eagle boosts guidance on sales hike

Teen clothing retailer American Eagle Outfitters Inc. on Wednesday raised its fourth-quarter earnings forecast and reported that sales at stores open at least a year surged 32.8 percent in December.

Total sales increased 41.2 percent to $375 million for the month from $265.5 million in the same period last year.

The company said that it was raising its forecast guidance to a range of $1.30 to $1.31 per share, up from the $1.12 average expected by Wall Street analysts. American Eagle previously had forecast quarterly earnings of $1.08 to $1.10 per share from continuing operations.

American Eagle has a distribution center in Ottawa, and a store in downtown Lawrence.

Retail

Kmart cuts inventory total from December

Kmart Holding Corp. said Wednesday that its December inventory level was $3.1 billion, rather than the $3.4 billion it reported earlier this week.

The $300 million correction won’t affect its December cash balance or its expected cash position for the current fiscal year, the discount department-store chain said.

In November, Kmart announced plans to buy Sears, Roebuck and Co. department-store chain in an $11 billion deal. Kmart emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May 2003.

Shares of Kmart dipped $3.78, or 3.8 percent, to close at $96.57 Wednesday on Nasdaq Stock Market.

Kmart has a distribution center in Lawrence.