Home Depot plans to hire 500 part-timers in Maine

The Home Depot is gearing up for spring and plans to hire 80,000 part-time workers nationally, with nearly 500 of those workers in Maine.

Catherine Woodling, the chain’s corporate communications manager, said The Home Depot plans to bring on about 45 part-time workers at each of its 11 stores in Maine. That’s about the same number as last year, she said

Most full-time positions are filled internally, she said.

Woodling said the company is taking applications now and will hire the new part-timers as the weather warms and business picks up.

Dow Jones, S&P take dip while Nasdaq inches up

The Dow Jones industrial average was down 32.50 points, or 0.2 percent, to close at 15,962.34. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 0.5 points, or less than 0.1 percent, to 1,819.24. The Nasdaq composite rose 10.24 points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,201.29.

Benchmark U.S. crude for March delivery rose 43 cents to $100.37 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Wholesale gasoline gained 1 cent to $2.76 a gallon. Heating oil fell 2 cents to $3.01 a gallon. Natural gas was flat at $4.82 per 1,000 cubic feet. Brent crude, which is used to set prices for international varieties of crude, gained 11 cents to $108.79 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

Whole Foods’ shares drop after disappointing results

Shares of Whole Foods Market Inc. dropped in after-hours trading Wednesday after the grocery chain reported that its fiscal first-quarter profit and revenue fell below analysts’ forecasts. The Austin, Texas-based grocery chain, known for its organic and natural food offerings, also lowered its earnings projections for the year for the second time in months. It also pared down its full-year revenue guidance to the lower end of its expected range.

The chain, which operates 373 stores, including one in Portland, has battled a perception among shoppers that its food is pricey.

– From staff and news services

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