Charming Shoppes Quarterly Profit Climbs

Bensalem, Pa., Charming Shoppes Inc. said Wednesday that profit jumped nearly 70% in the fiscal third quarter as its newly acquired catalog business added to sales.

For the three months ended Oct. 29, the company earned $10.8 million, or 9? per share, up from $6.4 million, or 5? a share, a year earlier. Revenue rose 22% to $663.3 million from $541.8 million, helped by a boost from the Crosstown Traders catalog business acquired in June. Same-store sales rose 3%.

Charming Shoppes noted that it had unusual gains in the third quarter from insurance reimbursements and a lawsuit settlement, but said these were offset by a charge related to its decision to repatriate foreign earnings to take advantage of a government tax break.