As the price of jet fuel soared this summer, airlines scrambled to lock in long-term price contracts known as hedges. Northwest Airlines credited "smart fuel hedges" in part for its strong third-quarter performance. Now, with oil prices falling toward $100, some airlines are about to learn hedges go both ways, MarketWatch reports. About two-thirds of Northwest's fourth-quarter fuel is hedged around $3.31 a gallon. The website calculates that if the airline hadn't hedged, it might have saved 4 percent -- hundreds of millions of dollars -- for the quarter.

We're just not hanging out at the mall these days like we used to. That's not good news for such mall retailers as Plymouth-based Christopher & Banks Corp. An analyst downgraded the company's stock Tuesday, citing weak mall traffic as a concern, the Associated Press and Pioneer Press reported. The women's apparel retailer operates 850 stores, including Christopher & Banks, CJ Banks and Acorn.

General Mills is once again named one of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers. Meanwhile, some lawmakers are more concerned with how food companies are interacting with children. A U.S. Senate committee heard testimony Tuesday on how food companies are marketing to children, the Associated Press reports. General Mills recently pledged to devote at least half of advertising for children to promoting healthier food choices.

Do you have an inside scoop or news tip about a Minnesota company? Spotted something interesting in your RSS reader? Drop Business Agenda a note at dhaugen [at] minnpost [dot] com.