Cyber Monday was better for online retailers than most expected. But consumers were only interested in heavily-discounted goods. That’s why Andrew Snyder thinks eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) is well placed to turn a profit this Christmas. It not only attracts bargain hunters, but also sellers desperate to raise cash. And better still, it has a balance sheet that most companies dream of these days.

During the Great Depression, financially devastated Americans sold turnips along side the road to make ends meet. Today, they merely boot up their computer and sell their junk online.

For proof, I called up an acquaintance that makes her living buying and selling on eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY). She answered the phone sounding like she had just spent the last 48 hours on a runaway treadmill. She was tired and grumpy.

“So how did Cyber Monday treat you,” I asked.

“It was insane. I have more orders than I can handle,” I

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EDF Scooping Constellation; Research in Motion Posts Tough 3Q; Legg Mason’s Miller Calls Market Bottom; Cyber Monday Sales Strong; Crude Stocks Drop; New Zealand Fights Recession

The world’s biggest nuclear utility company, Electricité de France SA will offer as much as $6.5 billion for assets of Constellation Energy Group, Inc (CEG), source familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal. A previous offer by EDF was turned down, with Constellation opting for a $4.7 billion bid from Warren Buffett’s MidAmerican unit of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.A,BRK.B). Research In Motion Ltd.’s (RIMM) third-quarter subscriptions and profit fell short of forecasts, as it simultaneously faces increased competition and recession in its largest market. Profit for the Blackberry maker rose no more than 83 cents a share in the quarter ended Nov. ...

There's a great story at the Washington Post today about the interplay between retail spending and retail hiring. Specifically, the Post notes that because the holiday shopping season looks so grim, retailers aren't doing much of the seasonal hiring they typically do this time of year. More below ..."This is the time of year when retail jobs are supposed to be as plentiful as holiday cheer, when stores gear up for the Christmas rush by filling their sales floors with college students, moonlighters and anyone else looking to shore up their income."But no one is feeling very jolly this year."Faced with plummeting sales and spooked shoppers, retailers have cut back on holiday hiring at a time when their pool of applicants is swelling with those who have been laid off from other industries. About 272,000 retail jobs were open at the end of

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