Gillette Co.’s second-quarter earnings rose 17% to...

Gillette Co.’s second-quarter earnings rose 17% to $67.8 million from a year ago. Sales were up 13.5% to $864.7 million. The Boston-based personal-care company has been fighting a hostile takeover bid by Coniston Group of New York, which owns 5.9% of its stock and tried unsuccessfully to unseat four of Gillette’s directors in April.