News

Seattle -- Nordstrom said its third-quarter profit rose a more-than-expected 43% to $119 million on improved sales and margin improvements. The company raised the low end of its fiscal year profit forecast.

Revenues rose to $2.18 billion from $1.96 billion. Same-store sales increased 5.8%.

Best-selling items were jewelry, shoes and dresses.

"Our customers are highly receptive to newness and fashion in spite of the soft economic climate," company president Blake Nordstrom said in a conference call with analysts.

New Albany, Ohio -- Abercrombie & Fitch Co. on Tuesday reported a profit of $50 million for the quarter ended Oct. 30, compared with $38.8 million in the year-ago period. Its results were helped by improving sales in the United States and international revenue.

Sales rose 18% to $886 million, matching Wall Street expectations. Same-store sales increased 7%. By division, same-store sales rose 8% at namesake stores, 2% at Abercrombie kids stores and 7% at surf-themed Hollister stores.

Philadelphia -- Urban Outfitters recorded earnings of $73.1 million for the quarter ended Oct. 31, a 17% hike over the $62.4 million recorded in the prior year period, helped by higher sales and improved growth in comparable store net sales. Quarterly earnings were ahead of the analysts' expectations, while sales came in short of the consensus.

Revenue rose 13.4% to $573.6 million, missing Wall Street estimates of $580 million.

Pittsburgh -- Dick’s Sporting Goods’ net income for the quarter ended Oct. 30 dropped to $16.9 million, compared with net income of $18.9 million for the year-ago period.

Sales rose 9% to $1.08 billion, from $990 million.

Same-store sales increased 5.1%, with a 3.8% increase in Dick’s Sporting Goods stores, a 2.4% increase in Golf Galaxy and an 82.4% increase in e-commerce.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores reported Tuesday that profit for the quarter ended Oct. 31 rose 9.3% to $3.44 billion, compared with a profit of $3.15 billion in the year-ago quarter.

However, same-store sales in the United States declined as Wal-Mart’s shoppers remain under pressure in a weak economy. Same-store sales in the United States fell 1.3%, the sixth consecutive quarterly decline at the world’s largest retailer.

Net sales rose 2.6% to $101.2 billion.