Dayton Hudson’s 3rd-Quarter Profit Doubles

Dayton Hudson Corp. said its third-quarter earnings more than doubled, helped by strong performances by its Mervyn’s chain of clothing stores and Target discount stores. The Minneapolis-based company said its net income was $107 million, or 47 cents per share, on revenue of $6.07 billion. That compares with earnings of $44 million, or 18 cents per share, on revenue of $5.57 billion in the same period last year. The results were well above analysts’ expectations. . . . New York-based AnnTaylor Stores Corp.’s earnings rose sevenfold in the third quarter as the retailer continued to pull out of a two-year slump. The company had profit from operations of $5.2 million, or 21 cents a share, beating by a penny the average estimate of analysts. AnnTaylor earned $686,000, or 3 cents, a year earlier. . . . Columbus, Ohio-based Limited Inc. saw its earnings fall during the third quarter, mostly due to significant gains made during the third quarter last year from the initial public offering of its Intimate Brands Inc. division. Limited reported net income was $159.5 million, or 59 cents a share, compared with $640.6 million, or $2.34, a year ago.