Starbucks Doubles Quarterly Profit

Updated: Thursday, 04 Nov 2010, 2:54 PM MDT
Published : Thursday, 04 Nov 2010, 2:54 PM MDT
By Shawn Langlois

(MarketWatch) - Starbucks, the biggest U.S. coffee shop chain, reported Thursday that its fiscal fourth-quarter profit nearly doubled to $278.9 million, or 37 cents a share.

Analysts had expected the coffee giant to earn 32 cents a share, according to FactSet Research.

Sales rose 17 percent to $2.8 billion. Comparable store sales -- a key gauge of retailer health -- rose 8 percent, its fourth straight quarter of positive growth following the coffee giant's stumble in the economic downturn.

In after-hours trading, Starbucks shares were up 2.3 percent. They are up nearly 30 percent for the year.

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