Business in brief May 9

| The Associated Press

5/8/2008 -

Gas jumps nearly 3 cents

NEW YORK — Gasoline and crude oil jumped to new records Thursday, with gas rising 3 cents to an average national price of nearly $3.65 a gallon and oil crossing $124 a barrel for the first time.

At the pump, the average price of a gallon of regular gas nationwide rose 2.7 cents to a record $3.645, according to a survey of stations by AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Diesel prices also rose, adding 0.9 cent to match a record national average of $4.251 a gallon.

Gas prices tend to lag oil futures, and with crude rising to a new record near $124 a barrel Wednesday and likely headed higher, it's widely expected the average price of gas will soon rise as high as $4.

Stocks rise modestly

NEW YORK — Wall Street closed a quiet session with a moderate advance Thursday, with energy and other commodities companies leading the market as oil prices extended their record-breaking run.

The price of crude oil swept past $124 a barrel in late New York Mercantile Exchange trading, while gasoline rose to a new record of its own at the pump, climbing to a national average of nearly $3.65 a gallon.

Although the rising price of oil ignited concerns about inflation on Wednesday, knocking the Dow Jones industrial average down more than 200 points, stocks managed to hold on to their gains even as oil rose Thursday.

Shoppers seek shelter at discounters

NEW YORK — Caught in the maelstrom of higher gas and food prices, Americans — even more affluent ones — are seeking shelter in wholesale clubs and discount apparel chains.

Low-price operators Costco Wholesale Corp., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and TJX Cos. on Thursday reported better-than-expected sales while traditional apparel chains J.C. Penney Co. and Limited Brands Inc. struggled.

To lure customers, apparel chains are discounting more.

GM to pay millions to help end strike

DETROIT — General Motors Corp. has agreed to kick in up to $200 million to help bring an end to a bitter 10-week strike at parts supplier American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings Inc.

The automaker said Thursday in a government filing that the money would go for temporary payments to buffer reduced wages for the workers, as well as employee buyout and early retirement packages.

About 3,600 United Auto Workers at five American Axle factories have been on strike since Feb. 26 in a dispute over the company's quest for lower wages and benefits.