Tiffany & Co. (TIF: chart) earned $50.6 million, or 35 cents a share for the quarter ended July 31, up from $33.1 million, or 22 cents a share a year earlier.

Quarterly sales climbed 11% to $526.7 million versus $476.6 million a year earlier.

Tiffany’s quarterly results were well above Wall Street's forecast of a second-quarter profit of 24 cents a share.

Tiffany's second-quarter same-store sales in the U.S. added 6% and same-store sales in Japan were up by 1% on a local currency basis.

U.S. retail sales climbed 8% to $267.7 million. The company operates a total of 56 U.S. stores.

Total international sales jumped 12% to $202.1 million, as international same-store sales rose 3% on a local currency basis. The company opened new stores in Brisbane, Australia, and a third store in Paris and currently operates 94 international stores.

Tiffany now targets earnings of $1.55 to $1.65 a share for the full year, up vs. the previous forecast issued in May for $1.45 to $1.55 a share. Analysts are looking for earnings of $1.51 a share.

Tiffany added it sees a full-year sales growth of 8% to 10%, with U.S. same-store sales increase in the mid to high single-digit range and Japanese same-store sales in local currency generally unchanged vs. the year-ago level.

The company still forecasts a drop in gross margin for the year but said it is likely to meet its guidance for amid single-digit percentage rise in inventories.

Sigma Designs, digital media processors maker, reported 2Q net profit of 0 cents per share, down vs. a net profit of 5 cents per share for the same period last year on 2% revenue decline for the comparable period . The company posted 25% net revenue growth compared with the previous quarter. The rise in revenue is mainly due to better sales performance with regard to the IP video applications.

VA Software, open-source software and web publisher, posted Q4 net loss of 2 cents per share, down vs. a loss of a penny a share for the same period last year despite 34% revenue growth. The stock gained 12 percent in after-hours trading after the announcement.

Sanofi-Aventis, French drugmaker, lifted its 2005 earnings forecast after announcing that 2Q adjusted net income advanced 26% to 1.55 billion euros. Sales were up 6.5% to 6.69 billion euros. The company also said that higher promotional costs boosted selling and general expenses by 1.2% to 2.03 billion euros. Research and development expenses were down by 1% to 979 million euros. It now envisages at least 20% growth in adjusted earnings for the year.

SWS Group, investment firm, announced that it will delay releasing 4Q financial results to review accounting for certain adjustable ratio securities. The company plans to wait until it files its annual report with the Securities and Exchange Commission to release the financial reports, as its fiscal year ended on June 24. The securities in question are 5-year notes issued in fiscal 1999 as a hedge on appreciated stock of Knight Trading Group. The securities matured in June 2004. SWS shares declined 20 cents to $16.35 in afternoon trading on the NYSE.

United Natural Foods, distributor and retailer of natural and organic foods, posted 4Q net income of 28 cents per share, up vs.23 cents per share for the same period last year on a 21.6% increase in net sales, totaling $543.0 million. Wholesale revenue growth rose 19.3% for the current quarter compared to the previous year. The acquisition of Select Nutrition Distributors and higher fuel costs both had a negative impact on earnings per share. The Company has suffered higher than expected external costs associated with its compliance efforts under Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley.