By Francesca Fontana 

American Airlines Group Inc.

A new Covid variant is causing fresh turbulence for airlines. Governments across Europe and Asia slapped new restrictions on flights and travelers from a swath of southern Africa, acting to stem the transmission of a Covid-19 variant identified in the region. Global airline shares fell sharply Friday amid worry that the variant could lead to broader travel bans, just as many parts of the world were starting to fly again. American Airlines shares fell 8.8% Friday.

Target Corp.

Many retail employees had something to be thankful for this year: no work on Turkey Day. Target, Walmart Inc. and other merchants kept their physical locations closed on Thanksgiving for another year, after holiday closures during the pandemic proved popular with customers -- and employees. Target said Monday it would make the store closures permanent. "What started as a temporary measure driven by the pandemic is now our new standard," Chief Executive Brian Cornell said in a letter to employees. Other retailers like Walmart said they were using closures this year to show their appreciation to employees and boost retention. Target shares lost 2.5% Monday.

Deere & Co.

Nothing runs like a Deere, even during a strike. The manufacturer saw minimal fallout from its recent workers' walkout, reporting better-than-expected quarterly profits and forecasting continued strong sales at higher prices next year. Workers represented by the United Auto Workers union returned to their jobs last week after a five-week strike, ratifying a new contract that provides them higher wages, bonuses and other benefits over six years. Deere said the deal will cost the company as much as $300 million a year during the contract, with some expenses for pensions and other benefits deferred to later years. Deere shares rose 5.3% Wednesday.

Best Buy Co.

People are shopping at stores again. Best Buy reported on Tuesday that its U.S. e-commerce sales fell 10.1% from a year earlier, a period when many shoppers bought goods online while stores were closed due to Covid-19. Consumers are still spending freely on sporting goods and kitchen appliances, as overall consumer demand remains strong in spite of rising prices and global supply-chain snarls. Best Buy expects a strong holiday season but a slowdown in sales growth versus earlier in the year, said Chief Financial Officer Matt Bilunas. Best Buy shares plummeted 12% Tuesday.

J.M. Smucker Co.

Higher prices didn't jam sales for Smucker's spreads. The company behind Jif peanut butter and its namesake jellies said sales in the second quarter rose, as higher prices and demand helped it navigate higher costs and supply-chain challenges. J.M. Smucker has seen higher prices in manufacturing, transportation, ingredient and packaging costs, and the company said in August it would raise prices further to combat cost inflation and prolonged supply disruptions. Weather in places like Brazil, Texas and the Pacific Northwest also drove up costs for commodities and other inputs. The company said it planned to pass the higher costs through to consumers, raising prices on coffee and other products. Smucker shares rose 5.7% Tuesday.

Zoom Video Communications Inc.

Zoom is suffering from Zoom fatigue. The videoconferencing company reported a slowdown in quarterly sales growth as more people return to work. Zoom has been unable to maintain the strong growth of the earlier days of the pandemic, as organizations leaned heavily into remote work. The company also faces increased competition, as Microsoft Corp.'s Teams application poses one of the biggest challenges to Zoom's market share. Zoom shares lost 15% Tuesday, but recovered some of that drop Friday as new concerns about a Covid-19 variant pushed its stock back up.

Gap Inc.

Gaps in the global supply chain are creating new problems for Gap. On Tuesday it said factory closures and port delays caused it to miss out on sales and spend extra on air cargo, joining a growing list of clothing companies facing similar challenges. The supply-chain disruptions in the quarter shaved an estimated $300 million in lost sales and added $100 million in airfreight costs. Victoria's Secret & Co., Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and other chains, which rely on Asia for much of their production, have also warned of transportation problems and production delays that leave them unable to capitalize on strong consumer demand. Gap shares plunged 24% Wednesday.

Write to Francesca Fontana at francesca.fontana@wsj.com