NEW YORK >> A surging online business and strong food sales boosted Walmart’s results ahead of the holiday season. That comes a day after rival Target offered a cautious forecast for the holiday season that overshadowed progress it has made in bringing more customers to its stores.

Walmart earned $1.75 billion during the third quarter and posted revenue of $123.18 billion. Sales at stores open at least a year rose 2.7 percent for the U.S. division, the biggest gain since the first quarter of 2009.

Walmart says its food business, critical to drawing shoppers into its stores, had the strongest quarterly performance in nearly six years.

Best Buy 3Q results, outlook disappoint

NEW YORK >> Best Buy on Thursday reported a boost in third-quarter profit and sales, but its results and outlook fell short of Wall Street expectations.

Best Buy has been working to better compete with rivals in an increasingly online shopping world. Like most retailers, it is struggling against Amazon.com and that company’s expansion of services and products.

The Richfield, Minn.-based company’s profit rose 23 percent to $239 million while revenue rose 4 percent to $9.32 billion. Sales in stores open at least a year, a key measure of a retailer’s health, gained 4.4 percent.

Airlines bump fewer passengers off flights

WASHINGTON >> Airlines are bumping fewer passengers off oversold planes after taking to heart the public anger over a man being violently dragged from his seat earlier this year.

The U.S. Department of Transportation said Thursday that airlines bumped 2,745 passengers between July and September. That is about one in every 67,000 passengers, and it is the lowest rate since the department started keeping track of bumping in 1995.

ON THE MOVE

>> Finance Factors has named Kristi Maynard as their new chief financial officer. She has more than 33 years of experience in finance and banking. Prior to joining the depository financial services loan company, Maynard worked for Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp. as well as First Hawaiian Bank.

>> Central Pacific Bank has announced that John Hulihe‘e is the new vice president and senior deposit management officer. Hulihe’e has more than 20 years of financial industry experienc.