Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, January 28, 1994                   TAG: 9401280176
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

REPORTED EARNINGS

Sara Lee Corp., Chicago-based operator of knitwear mills in Martinsville and a L'eggs distribution center in Salem, on Thursday reported record sales and earnings for the second quarter ended Jan. 1, but said third-quarter results will be below analyst estimates. Earnings from operations for the full fiscal year, however, are expected to rise to record levels, above last year's $1.40 per share.

Net sales for the second quarter were $4 billion, up 4 percent from last year's $3.8 billion. Net income rose 7 percent, to $236 million from $220 million. Earnings per share increased 9 percent, to 48 cents from 44 cents.

Net sales for the first six months were $7.8 billion, up 5 percent from last year. Net income rose 8 percent, to $391 million from $362 million in the same period last year, before an accounting change. Earnings per share, also before the accounting change, rose 10 percent, to 79 cents. Adoption of the accounting change resulted in a one-time, after-tax charge of $35 million, or 7 cents per share.

Winn-Dixie

Winn-Dixie Stores Inc., a Jacksonville, Fla., grocer operating supermarkets in Western Virginia, reported second-quarter net earnings of $63.8 million, or 85 cents per share, compared with $63 million, or 82 cents per share, up 1.2 percent in dollars and 3.7 percent in earnings per share.

For the half year, net earnings were $99.7 million, or $1.33 per share, up 3.4 percent in dollars and 5.6 percent in earnings per share from $96.4 million, or $1.26 per share.

Sales for the quarter increased 4.2 percent, to $3.4 billion, up $136.3 million from the 1993 quarter. For the half year, sales were $5.8 billion, up $208.6 million or 3.7 percent from the prior year. The increase in same-store sales was 1.9 percent for the quarter and 1.8 percent for the year to date. Average store sales increased 4.8 percent for the quarter and 4.7 percent year-to-date.

MCI Communications

MCI Communications Corp. said Thursday its earnings jumped 24 percent in the final three months of 1993, due primarily to strong growth in its core long-distance telephone service.

MCI said that growth increased company revenues more than 13 percent over the 1992 fourth quarter.

Fourth-quarter, after-tax profit totaled $107 million, or 18 cents a share, on revenue of $3.13 billion, compared with $160 million, or 30 cents a share, on revenue of $2.76 billion in the 1992 period.

But profits for the year fell slightly, 1.3 percent, to $581 million, or $1.12 cents a share, from $589 million, or $1.11 a share in 1992. Sales were up 13 percent to $11.92 billion from $10.56 billion in 1992.