date:Mar 21, 2013
hich hurt sales.
We think the consumer environment is improving, Chief Executive Ken Powell said in an interview on Wednesday. As the price comparison moderates, the consumer is coming back.
In the third quarter, ended on Feb. 24, net income rose to $398.4 million, or 60 cents per share, from $391.5 million, or 58 cents per share, a year earlier.
Excluding items such as the costs of valuing commodity hedges and integrating recent acquisitions, earnings were 64 cents per share. On that basis,