My finance view

Staples Inc. (Nasdaq: SPLS) said fourth quarter sales tumbled 14 percent to $4.6 billion when excluding the impact of the office supply company’s acquisition of Corporate Express last summer. The company also declined to give any sales or profit forecast, blaming limited visibility into the future.

The company generated net income of $286 million in the quarter that ended Jan. 31, down from $333.2 million in the year-ago period payday loan.

Staples bought Corporate Express in July 2008 for $4.4 billion, net of cash acquired, in a move that expanded product and service offerings to five additional countries.

Staples said it expects the weak economic climate to continue throughout 2009.

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