The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States said today that U.S. sales growth of distilled spirits slowed last year. The group said revenues for liquor companies rose 2.8 percent to $18.7 billion in 2008, while sales by volume rose 1.6 percent to 184 million 9-liter cases, Reuters reported. In 2007, revenue rose 5.6 percent and volume rose 2.4 percent. The organization would not predict 2009 sales, citing the volatility of the economy.

Exxon Mobil Corp. reported annual 2008 profits of $45.22 billion today, the largest in U.S. history and eclipsing the previous record of $40.61 billion set by the company in 2007. The earnings record was set against a 33 percent profit drop in the fourth quarter of 2008. The company made $7.82 billion in the fourth quarter on revenues of $84.7 billion. On a per share basis, the company made $1.55 in the quarter, beating analysts’ estimates of $1.45 a share.

Freddie Mac said today in a news release that it is extending its suspension of evictions triggered by foreclosures on single-family properties with Freddie Mac-owned mortgages through Feb. 28. Freddie Mac also is launching a new strategy to offer leases to qualified owner-occupants and tenants so they can rent the properties on a month-to-month basis after foreclosure. To qualify, current tenants and former owner-occupants must be able to demonstrate that they have adequate income to pay the rent, which will be based on local market rates. The home must also meet applicable building codes, or be capable of being affordably brought into compliance, to be eligible.

Gannett Co. Inc. reported lower preliminary fourth-quarter earnings today, but even those profits will be wiped out once the company takes pretax write-downs of as much as $5.9 billion to reflect the declining value of its newspapers, the Associated Press reported. Gannett, the largest U.S. newspaper publisher, said preliminary net income fell to $158 million, or 69 cents per share, in the fourth quarter, down 36 percent from a year ago, due largely to a decline in advertising income. To realign costs with reduced revenues, Gannett reduced the work forces at most of its U.S. newspapers, including The Des Moines Register, and cut newsroom jobs at USA Today by about 5 percent late last year. Those moves, which preceded a one-week unpaid furlough that Gannett is imposing in the first quarter of 2009, resulted in pre-tax charges of $56 million. Excluding severance charges, earnings were 85 cents a share, slightly above the 81 cents a share expected by analysts. Revenues declined 8.5 percent to $1.74 billion, below expectations of $1.79 billion.