Sports Direct International Plc. forecast full-year earnings
in line with guidance as it reported a 12% increase in third-quarter sales. The U.K.-based company,  which owns the Sports World and Lillywhites
stores as well as brands such as Slazenger, Lonsdale, Everlast and Dunlop, said total
sales for the 13 weeks to Jan. 25 were 355 million pounds ($504 million), up
from 317 million pounds ($450 million) in the same period last year.


The company said it expects year to end-April 2009
underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization
(EBITDA) to meet market hopes of about 135 million pounds ($190.9 million). In
the previous year Sports Direct made 150 million pounds.


Sports Direct's gross profit edged up to 143 million pounds ($203
million), which meant its gross margin fell 4.5% to 44.8%.


“Sales in the UK retail division were ahead of
our expectations although gross margin was impacted by the weaker pound against
the U.S. dollar over the period as a substantial proportion of the group's
imports are paid for in U.S. dollars,” it said.