Columbus, Oh.

NEW YORK -- Limited Brands Inc. said Thursday that its July sales at stores open at least one year rose 12%. Analysts, on average, had expected same-store sales to rise 5.2%, according to Thomson Reuters. Net sales for the four weeks ended July 31 grew to $619.7 million, from $556.2 million in the same month last year. The Columbus, Oh., retailer now expects to post second-quarter earnings in the range of 34 cents to 36 cents a share, up from its previous forecast of 27 cents to 32 cents a share. Copyright © 2010 MarketWatch, Inc.