Summary: A positive earnings report from Dow Jones Industrial Average component American Express did most of the work for benchmark indexes. Amex's earnings win was enough to offset quarterly disappointments from the likes of Verizon and eBay . Foot Locker has warned of lower profit in its first quarter than previously anticipated. CEO Richard Johnson said delays of income tax refunds had contributed to disappointing February same-store sales. Buffalo Wild Wings is under fire from activist investor Marcato Capital which wants the chain to oust CEO Sally Smith and appoint four nominees to their board. In a proxy filing, the firm said the status quo is unacceptable and new leadership is needed. Allstate anticipates first-quarter catastrophe losses to equal roughly $508 million. The insurer said severe hail in Texas in March accounted for a third of total quarterly losses.
