Business Analytics

Chesapeake, Va. -- Dollar Tree has approved a 2-for-1 stock split in the form of a 100% common stock dividend. The new shares will be distributed June 26 for shareholders of record as of the close of business on June 12.

With the stock split, the number of outstanding shares of the company's common stock will increase from approximately 116 million shares, pre-split, to approximately 232 million shares, post-split.

Armonk, N.Y. -- IBM announced it has completed the acquisition of Vivisimo, a leading provider of federated discovery and navigation software that helps organizations access and analyze big data. Financial terms will not be disclosed.

Dublin, Calif. -- Epicor Software Corp., announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire substantially all of the operating assets and intellectual property of New Zealand-based partner Cogita Holdings Limited. The transaction is anticipated to close by May 31, 2012.

Warrendale, Pa. -- Rue21 reported Thursday that profit for the quarter ended April 28 rose 20.6% to $11.6 million, from $9.6 million in the same quarter last year.
   
Net sales increased 18.9% to $205.6 million, from $172.9 million. Same-store sales for the quarter edged up 1.7%.

Bob Fisch, president and CEO said the company is staying its small- and mid-market growth course.

New York -- Tiffany & Co. reported Thursday that profit for the first quarter was essentially flat at $81.5 million, compared with $81.1 million in the year-ago quarter, prompting the jeweler to reduce its forecast for both sales and profit for the year.

Worldwide revenue increased almost 8% to $819.2 million in the quarter, topping Wall Street’s estimates of $817.1 million in revenue. Same-store sales rose 4%.

Tiffany said it now projects that sales globally will be up 7% to 8%, instead of the originally forecasted 10% rise.

Chicago -- A new study of global wealth and spending patterns by A.T. Kearney’s Global Consumer Institute projects $12 trillion in new consumer spending over the next decade, with the United States accounting for 25% of the spending growth. Spending on food will account for about 10% of the overall total.

PHOENIX — Earnings shot up 39% to 85 cents per share to 61 cents per share at PetSmart during the first quarter as the company continues to dominate the pet retail space. Net income totaled $95 million in the first quarter of 2012, compared with $71 million in the first quarter of 2011.

Dallas -- Family Express has improved its inventory management operations significantly by deploying Retalix Ltd.’s demand-driven replenishment solution across its convenience stores in Northwestern Indiana, Retalix said.

Dallas -- Zale Corp reported a narrower third-quarter loss on Wednesday.

Zale’s net loss narrowed by about a half to $4.5 million in the third quarter ended April 30, from $9 million a year ago.

Revenues for the quarter ended April 30, 2012 rose 8.1% to $445 million, compared with $412 million in the same period last year. Same-store sales increased 8%.

Columbus, Ohio -- Big Lots Inc. posted a lower-than-expected adjusted profit for the first quarter and cuts its full-year earnings outlook.

Big Lots' first-quarter earnings fell 22% to $40.7 million, from $52.5 million a year ago. Sales increased 5.4% to $1.29 billion. Same-store sales edged down 0.8%.

Net profit margin declined to 3.1% from 4.3% a year ago.