Finance & Capital Management

Menlo Park, Calif. -- Facebook Inc.’s revenue in the second quarter increased 61% to a better-than-expected $2.91 billion, up from $1.81 billion in the year-ago quarter, fueled by its fast-growing mobile advertising business.

Revenue from advertising was $2.68 billion, up 67% from last year. Mobile advertising revenue represented 62% of Facebook’s ad revenue in the second quarter, up from 41% in the year-ago period and 59% in first quarter 2014. Payments and other fees revenue was $234 million, a 9% increase from the same quarter last year.

O’Reilly Automotive, the nation’s second largest auto parts retailer, said it is on track to open 200 new stores this year after posting its 22nd consecutive quarter of profit growth in excess of 15%.

Walmart named Greg Foran president and CEO of its U.S. stores division to replace Bill Simon, who is leaving the company after an eight-year run.
 

Sears Canada has added EVP and operating chief Klaudio Leshnjani to the board of directors, following the sudden passing of H Ronald Weissman.

Weissman has served as a member of board since Nov. 2013 and was a member of the audit committee.

Leshnjani held several executive positions with the company, including EVP, chief administrative officer and general counsel, EVP, financial and home services, human resources, general counsel and corporate communications and SVP and general counsel.

Supervalu posted $5.23 billion in net sales for the first quarter, a decrease of 0.1% from $5.24 billion last year; but president and CEO Sam Duncan expressed confidence in the company’s performance, saying it is off to a solid start across business segments.

“Our first quarter results reflect the investments we are making this year to position the company for future success and I am pleased with our operating performance,” said Duncan.

Despite a still-challenging economic climate, Loblaw’s profit in the second quarter beat analysts’ expectations, and was bolstered by strong sales in its recently acquired Shoppers Drug Mart.

Sales at the pharmacy and beauty retailer, which contributed to Loblaw’s net sales for the first time this quarter, accounted for more than a quarter of the food retailer’s total sales of C$10.31 billion in the quarter.

Channeling his inner Sam Walton this week, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon rattled the company with the unexpected appointment of a relatively unknown newcomer to replace Bill Simon as CEO of its largest and most profitable division.

Once again, weak ammunition, shooting, optics and firearm sales at Cabela's caused comparable-store sales to slip 14.2%. But CEO Tommy Millner focused on positives, such as new store performance.

Rite Aid has appointed former Roundy’s executive Darren Karst as EVP and CFO, effective Aug. 20, to succeed Frank Vitrano, who has announced he will retire in Sept. 2015. Karst will report to Rite Aid’s chairman and CEO John Standley.

Karst will be responsible for all aspects of the company’s finance, accounting, treasury, tax, investor relations, legal, risk management, internal assurance and asset protection functions.

Second quarter sales at Amazon increased 23% to $19.3 billion thanks to growth of new and existing products, but the company reported an even bigger loss than it did the prior year.