"We are working hard to understand what occurred in Bentonville more than six years ago and are committed to conducting a complete investigation before forming conclusions, " David Tovar, Wal-Mart's vice president of corporate communications, said last month.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Question of the day: Who is a better predictor of the economy and stock markets, Wal-Mart Stores or David Malpass?

FORBES: Wal-Mart Or Malpass?

"Kmart just seems to be the third choice for consumers behind Wal-Mart and Target, " says David Sowerby, portfolio manager for Loomis Sayles.

BBC: Kmart: Death of a retailing icon?

David Abella, an analyst at Rochdale Investment Management, expects Wal-Mart to take advantage of the difficult environment by cutting prices further in an effort to attract shoppers away from competitors, as well as convince those tight on cash to keep buying.

FORBES: Wal-Mart Keeps Its Head Up

Wal-Mart is a Goliath of retailing, but in online video it's a David compared with Apple's iTunes.

FORBES: Magazine Article