•Companies

Whitehall begins liquidating: Whitehall Jewelers started selling off its inventory over the weekend as it began a court-approved liquidation sale. On June 23, the Chicago-based retailer sought protection from its creditors in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The liquidation sale will involve all 373 Whitehall store locations, including those in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. The company operates stores in Providence Place mall, Swansea Mall, Emerald Square Mall in North Attleboro, Mass., Dartmouth Mall, and Crystal Mall in Waterford, Conn. Company statements were unclear as to how long the sale will last. (Staff)

Astro-Med reports income hike: Astro-Med Inc., of West Warwick, yesterday reported second-quarter net income of $1.15 million, or 15 cents per diluted share, up 30 percent from $886,000, or 12 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Sales were $19.78 million, up from $18.69 million in the comparable period a year ago. Favorable foreign exchange currency rates added about $443,000 to this year’s second-quarter sales. Astro-Med (ALOT:Nasdaq) released financial results after the close of trading on Wall Street. The stock finished at 4 p.m. at $9.35 a share, down 10 cents. (Staff)

TJX selling Bob’s: Framingham, Mass.-based TJX Cos. Inc. said yesterday that it’s selling the Bob’s Stores chain to a pair of private equity firms as it tries to better focus on strategies. The discount fashion retailer said terms of the sale of to Versa Capital Management and Crystal Capital weren’t disclosed. The chain, which sells casual clothing and footwear, has 34 stores clustered in the Northeast. (Associated Press)

•Markets

Dollar retreats: The dollar fell against major currencies yesterday in New York, ending at 109.82 Japanese yen, down from Monday’s close of 110.17 yen. The euro closed at 3:30 p.m. at $1.4768, up from $1.4697.

Metals rise: Gold for current delivery closed at $811.10 a troy ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange, up from Monday’s close of $799.70. Silver closed at $13.093 an ounce, up from $13.087.

Fuels climb: September light, sweet crude oil rose $1.66 to $114.53 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. September heating oil rose 3.89 cents to $3.1237 a gallon. September gasoline rose 4.87 cents to $2.639 a gallon. September natural gas rose 8.8 cents to $7.976 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Associated Press