Best-selling wool

St. John Knits Inc. said it expects to report a profit ranging from $10.7 million to $11.1 million for its fiscal 1993, which ended Oct. 31. That compares to an $8.3-million profit in the Irvine women’s apparel maker’s fiscal 1992.

The company said its annual sales climbed to between $96 million and $100 million, up from $80.2 million a year earlier.

The anticipated annual profit is expected to range from $1.31 to $1.35 per share, compared to $1.02 per share in the company’s fiscal 1992.

St. John, whose knit woolen dresses sell for an average of $800, went public in March at $17 a share. Its stock, traded on the New York Stock Exchange, closed Monday at $19.625, unchanged from Friday’s closing price.