Back to work for Wall St.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Wall Street returns to work Wednesday morning, with investors focusing on the holiday sales results and adjusting their portfolios for the end of 2007.

Trading is expected to be light for the rest of the week, with many market participants taking an extended holiday vacation. U.S. markets were open for just a half-day on Monday, and shut all day Tuesday for Christmas.

Asian stocks finished mostly higher Wednesday, with several markets still closed for holidays. Tokyo's Nikkei index gained 0.7 percent. European markets gained ground, with London closed for the Boxing Day holiday.

Retailers could get some attention when the markets open, amid indications that the holiday shopping season may have been disappointing for many of them. Target (TGT, Fortune 500) said late Monday that December same-store sales might actually be lower from a year ago.

Due out before the opening bell is the Standard & Poor's Case-Shiller index of single-family home prices.

Oil prices were higher. U.S. light crude rose 53 cents to $94.66 a barrel in Asian electronic trading.

The dollar was little changed against the yen.

Among stocks in the news Wednesday isToyota Motor (TM), which announced a 2008 sales target of 9.85 million that would set an all-time annual record if achieved. That would surpass the mark of 9.55 million set by General Motors (GM, Fortune 500) in 1978.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) announced Tuesday it is is paying $4.5 billion for a 60 percent stake in Marmon Holdings Inc., a privately-held conglomerate controlled by the Pritzker family in Chicago.