WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Whole Foods Market, Inc. (WFM) reported that its third-quarter net income was $116.85 million or $0.63 per share, up from $88.47 million or $0.50 per share in the same quarter last year. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report earnings of $0.61 per share for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.
Sales for the quarter rose to $2.73 billion from $2.40 billion in the prior year quarter. Twenty two analysts had consensus revenue estimate of $2.73 billion for the quarter.
Including a negative impact of 62 basis points from Easter shifting from the third quarter last year to the second quarter this year, comparable store sales increased 8.2%, and identical store sales, excluding six relocations and two expansions, increased 8.0%
For the fourth-quarter, the company expects net income to be in the range of $0.59 - $0.60 per share, and sales growth of 22.9% - 23.9%. Analysts expect the company to report earnings of $0.57 per share on revenues of $2.90 billion for the fourth-quarter.
For fiscal 2012, the company raised its earnings outlook to a range of $2.51 - $2.52 per share from the prior range of $2.44 to $2.47 per share. The company now expects sales growth for the year in a range of 15.6 - 15.8 percent, up from the prior range of 14.8 to 15.6 percent. Analysts expect the company to report earnings of $2.47 per share on revenues of $11.68 billion for fiscal 2012.
For fiscal year 2013, on a 52-week to 52-week basis, the Company expects sales growth approximately in line with fiscal year 2012, comps of 6.5% to 8.5%, idents of 6.0% to 8.0%, and diluted earnings per share of $2.83 to $2.87, a year-over-year increase of 16% to 17%. Analysts expect the company to report earnings of $2.83 per share on revenues of $13.13 billion for fiscal 2013.
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