Sears Drops on Losses as Stocks Open on Mostly Weak Economic Data

A soft start at Thursday's openings bell as traders digest a slew of economic data that came in mostly weaker than expected. Consumer prices dropped 0.7% in January, the largest decline since 2008 driven by tumbling gas prices. The number of Americans filing for jobless benefits spiked for the week ending February 15. Initial claims unexpectedly rose to 313,000 versus the estimated 290,000. Durable goods orders for January was the only positive data, increasing a more than expected 2.8%. Sears Holdings (SHLD) is sharply lower in early trading after posting plunging losses. Same-store sales at both Sears and Kmart continued to drop last quarter.