Ahead of the Bell: Safeway earnings seen rising

NEW YORK - Safeway Inc., one of the largest U.S. food and drug retailers, is expected to report that profit rose slightly in the third quarter from a year ago. Morningstar analyst Mitchell P. Corwin notes the stores' emphasis on wholesome and high-quality goods has helped the company post "consistent growth" and gain market share. Corwin has a "Buy" rating on Safeway, but warns of threats from Wal-Mart supercenters and other stores that have recently entered... [read full story]