USA Retail Stores In Trouble: Sears is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and Kmart could be its first casualty - Hayley Peterson

Wall Street analysts have made the same prediction every year for nearly the last decade: Sears is imminently going bankrupt. But the retailer has managed to stay afloat with loans from its CEO, the sale of valuable real estate, and the slow dismantling of its exclusivity over some big American brands.

This year is no different. Sears' pool of assets is shrinking and its core business is showing no signs of improvement, making the possibility of a bankruptcy or restructuring seem more likely than a turnaround at this point, according to Christina Boni, vice president at Moody's Investors Service.

"Continuing to fund shortfalls is becoming more challenging, particularly as Sears continues to bleed its asset pool," Boni told Business Insider. "This increases and elevates the risk of a bankruptcy."- by Hayley Peterson

Read more: Sears is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and Kmart could be its first casualty