HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears' second-quarter loss widened as the number of stores in operation declined and the retailer spun off its Hometown and Outlet brand.

For the period ended Aug. 3, Sears Holdings Corp. lost $194 million, or $1.83 per share. That compares with a loss of $132 million, or $1.25 per share, a year earlier.

Excluding one-time charges, it lost $1.46 per share.

Revenue for the company, based in for the Hoffman Estates, Ill., declined 6 percent to $8.87 billion from $9.47 billion, mostly due to store closings.

WASHINGTON — For the first time since 2009, previously occupied U.S. homes are selling at a pace associated with a healthy market.Sales jumped 6.5 percent in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.4 million, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday. Over the past 12 months, sales have surged 17.2 percent. The trend shows that housing remains a driving force for the economy even as mortgage rates have risen from record lows.