Jack in the Box predicts in-range 2008 profit

The company said it expects profit between $1.98 and $2.08 per share. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expects profit between $1.98 and $2.09 per share, with an average of $2.05 per share.

The company said it also anticipates flat same-store sales, or sales at locations open at least a year, at Jack in the Box company restaurants and a 1 percent to 3 percent same-store sales rise at Qdoba restaurants.

For the third quarter, the company predicts a dip in same-store sales of about 2 percent at Jack in the Box restaurants and a flat to 2 percent increase in same-store sales at Qdoba locations.

Same-store sales is a key indicator of restaurant performance since it measures growth at existing locations rather than newly opened ones.

The company added it expects profit growth of 12 percent to 15 percent per year, with same-store sales growth of 2 percent to 4 percent annually at Jack in the Box and between 3 percent and 5 percent annually at Qdoba.