Finance & Capital Management

Seattle -- Starbucks on Wednesday reported that its second-quarter profit rose 20% as more customers visited its stores, and it raised its earnings forecast for the year.

The company said it earned $261.6 million for the quarter ended April 3, up from $217.3 million a year earlier. Revenue rose nearly 10% to $2.79 billion.

Naperville, Ill. -- OfficeMax said Thursday that its net income dropped 53% in the first quarter.

Net income fell to $11.9 million from $25.4 million. Revenue fell 2.8% to $1.86 billion, though it beat analysts' estimates

The company blamed bad weather, store discounts and "an unfavorable product sales mix shift" in the technology department. Revenue from direct sales to business customers fell more steeply than revenue in stores.

Sidney, Neb. -- Cabela's said Thursday that stronger revenue helped its fiscal first-quarter profit more than double from results weighed down by a hefty charge a year ago.

The reported net income of $17.8 million in the three months ended April 2, up from $8.1 million a year earlier.

The year-ago period included an $11.9 million charge related to a 2009 FDIC compliance examination.

Revenue increased 5% to $586.7 million, from $559.6 million. Same-store sales rose 8.9%.

New York City -- Jones Group's net income fell 34% in the first quarter, weighed down by higher costs and charges tied to an acquisition.

Jones Group earned $25.9 million, compared with $39.4 million a year ago.

Jones Group said its quarterly results included about $11 million in costs and charges tied to its Stuart Weitzman acquisition and other restructuring and strategic review costs. Last year's quarter included costs and charges totaling approximately $3 million.

New York City -- Darden Restaurants plans to roughly double the size of LongHorn Steakhouse during the next 10 years. 

Speaking at Barclay’s Retail & Restaurants Conference in New York City, Darden president and COO Drew Madsen said LongHorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden and Seasons 52 would help drive the company’s growth going forward. Darden want to expand LongHorn Steakhouse, which currently has some 345 locations, to 600 to 800 units over the next decade.

Austin, Texas -- T. Stacy & Associates, who has been involved with some of Austin’s most iconic buildings, announced that it will reconfigure street-level space in its headquarters building at 823 Congress Avenue to a size and quality sufficient to attract a major retailer and that it has begun an aggressive search to find the “perfect tenant.”

Issaquah, Wash. -- Costco Wholesale Corp. said Tuesday that its board of directors has approved a $4 billion share buyback program. The company also raised its quarterly dividend by 17% to 24 cents, up from 20.5 cents.

The share buyback program expires in April 2015 and replaces a previous plan set to expire in July which had $800 million remaining.

Tampa, Fla. -- RMC Property Group announced it has acquired Carrollwood Corporate Center in Tampa, Fla., and is expanding and moving its corporate offices to the office building.

The Class A office building encompasses 20,000 sq. ft.