Thursday Morning 3Q Financial Roundup

Columbus, Ohio, Limited Brands, Inc. reported earnings of $53.1 million in the third quarter ended Oct. 30, an increase of 6.8% when compared with earnings of $49.7 million in the prior-year period. Comparable-store sales rose 1% while total revenues edged up 2% to $1.89 billion.

• York, Pa.-based Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. narrowed its loss in the third quarter to $745,000, down from $1.7 million. Same-store sales at Bon-Ton stores were down 3.1%, while same-store sales at Elder-Beerman, which are not yet included in the reported total, dropped 4.8%. Overall sales for the 13-week period were up 65% to $297.8 million.

• Williams-Sonoma, Inc. reported earnings of $28.5 million in the third quarter, an increase of 19.2% when compared with earnings of $23.9 million in the same period the prior year. Same-store sales rose 3.1%, with retail sales increasing 11.6% to $392.1 million from $351.4 million. Overall sales for the San Francisco-based company were up 14.2% to $722.8 million. • Green Bay, Wis.-based ShopKo Stores, Inc. doubled its net income in the third quarter ended Oct. 30, from $1 million to $2 million. Comparable-store sales were down 1.5% during the 13-week period, with overall sales dipping 1.6% to $746.4 million.