Lexington based Stride Rite Corporation reported financial results for its 2005 third fiscal quarter and nine months ended September 2, 2005. Third quarter net sales in fiscal 2005 were $146.2 million, an increase of 4 percent from the net sales of $140.4 million in the comparable period of fiscal 2004.
Operating income in the third quarter of 2005 was $11.1 million, an 18 percent increase from the prior year's quarter. Net income for the third quarter totaled $7.7 million or $.21 per diluted share, an increase of 24 percent compared to the net income of $6.2 million or $.16 per diluted share in the third quarter of 2004.
For the first nine months of fiscal 2005, net sales were $456.5 million, an increase of 3 percent from the net sales of $441.5 million for the same period in fiscal 2004. Fully diluted earnings per share were $.74 for the first nine months of fiscal 2005 versus $.65 in fiscal 2004. Net income for the first nine months of fiscal 2005 totaled $27.6 million, an increase of 8 percent from the $25.6 million reported in the comparable period in 2004.
Third quarter sales of the Stride Rite Children's Group increased 9 percent compared to the third quarter of fiscal 2004. The Children's Group company-owned retail stores recorded a sales increase of 20 percent for the third quarter over the same period of fiscal 2004. Sales at comparable Children's Group retail stores increased 7.4 percent in the third quarter versus last year. Year-to-date comparable retail store sales are now up 5.5 percent through the first nine months of 2005. Sales by the Children's Group to independent retailers decreased 6 percent during the third quarter of fiscal 2005 as compared to the same period last year.