Business Beat for Thursday, Oct. 23, 2014

Sears disputes report of 100+ store closings

Sears Holdings Corp. on Thursday disputed a report it plans to close at least 100 stores and shed nearly 5,500 jobs in the next few months.

Just don’t tell them it’s from McDonald’s

The team at LifeHunters might have stumbled onto a way for McDonald’s to reach a wider audience and get rave reviews — even from foodies.

Ford to debut system to avoid hitting pedestrians

Ford Motor Co.’s next driver-assist system won’t steer the car for you, but it might keep you from hitting a wayward pedestrian.

A blue Christmas for Amazon?

The world’s largest online retailer on Thursday gave a disappointing forecast for the crucial holiday season.

Fuel costs ease, US airline profits soar

Saving a nickel or a dime per gallon might not seem like much to the average motorist, but it adds up quickly for airlines.

ALSO United’s net income soars on lower fuel costs

ALSO Southwest Airlines 3Q profit rises 27 percent

ALSO American Airlines tops 3Q net income expectations

Burrito chain urged to drop ‘illegal’ from name

Illegal Pete’s is being urged to change its name because of the way the word “illegal” has been used to describe immigrants.

Stocks surge as US companies report higher profits

Caterpillar and 3M led the gains among industrial stocks, which rose significantly more than the rest of the market.

ALSO: Caterpillar’s earnings, revenue beat expectations

Big convention threatens to leave Chicago over room rates

A large health care trade show says it will move its 2019 show from McCormick Place to Orlando, Crain’s reports.

Comcast wins more Internet customers, ad sales up

Comcast Corp.’s net income jumped 50 percent in the third quarter, helped by growth in Internet subscribers and fewer cable defectors.

GrubHub is betting on traditional TV advertising for growth

The Chicago-based online food-order-and-delivery company plans to increase TV advertising spending and make TV “the keystone of” its marketing campaign for the next six months, MarketWatch reports.

ALSO GrubHub revenue jumps as more customers order food online [Reuters]

Brazilian companies raise Chiquita offer to $681M

Brazilian companies Cutrale and Safra raised their bid for Chiquita to $681 million on the eve of a shareholders vote on deal with Fyffes.

Say that again? Zuckerberg speaks Chinese

Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg delighted students at a Beijing university this week during a chat in his recently learned Mandarin Chinese.

General Motors’ profit nearly doubles, led by North America

Rising SUV and truck sales in North America helped General Motors nearly double its third-quarter net profit.