Retail

Whole Foods Markets Inc. (WFMI: chart), an organic and natural foods grocer, swung into third-quarter gains of 45 cents a share due to the inclusion of Easter sales. The Austin, Texas retailer earned 36 cent a share in the year-ago quarter. Revenue increased 15 percent to $749 million, helped by a 7.6 percent rise in comparable-store sales.

Drugstore operator CVS Corp. (CVS: chart), based in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, reported a 13 percent increase in profit for the second quarter due to increased use of generic drugs. Profit increased to 49 cents a share, up from 43 cents in the prior year. Revenue climbed 7.6 percent to $6.44 billion.

For the first half of 2003, CVS earned 97 cents a share, up from 86 cents a share, a year ago. Revenue rose 6.7 percent to $12.76 billion.

The company projected profit for the whole year at between $1.93 to $1.98 a share, up from a range of $1.92 to $2.00 it had previously offered.

Financial Services

Deutsche Bank AG (DB: chart), Europe's second- largest bank by assets, said its net income in the second quarter climbed to 93 cents a share from 32 cents a share in the year-ago period. Results reflect job cuts and increased debt trading. The company has cut more than 5,145 jobs at the investment bank, which accounts for 65 percent of total revenue.

Nomura Holdings (NMR: chart), Japan's largest securities firm by capital, said first-quarter profit rose nearly fivefold to 20.14 yen a share, from 4.09 yen a year earlier. Results reflect sales of foreign currency bonds to individuals. Revenue was up 29 percent to 279.8 billion yen.