Macy's 2Q profit climbs nearly 4 percent

Macy’s Inc. on Wednesday reported a 4 percent increase in earnings in its fiscal second quarter as business rebounded from slow sales earlier in the year.

But Macy’s cut its outlook for a key sales measure saying it couldn’t make up the sales shortfall in the first quarter. The Cincinnati-based company says net incomes increased to $292 million, or 80 cents per share, from $281 million, or 72 cents per share, in the same quarter a year earlier.

The average estimate of analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for profit of 86 cents per share. The company said revenue rose 3.3 percent to $6.27 billion from $6.07 billion in the same quarter a year earlier, but missed Wall Street forecasts. Analysts expected $6.29 billion, according to Zacks. The company said that sales at stores open at least a year rose 3.4 percent.

Shares slipped more than 4 percent, or $2.72 to $57.03 in midmorning trading Wednesday.