KEY TAKEAWAYS Big Lots filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protections and agreed to sell itself to an affiliate of privateequity firm Nexus Capital Management. The filing by the home goods and furniture retailer follows extended sales declines and several quarters of losses at the discount retailer. The Ohio-based firm said Nexus will serve as the "stalking horse bidder" in a court-supervised auction process, and that the deal will close in the fourth quarter if it doesn't get better offers. Big Lots (BIG) fil ...