Whole Foods sales,profit rise but outlook misses

The Austin, Texas-based seller of local fare and pricey gourmet items said on Wednesday that net income available to shareholders was $28.7 million, or 20 cents per share, for the fiscal fourth quarter ended Sept 27. That compared with net income of $1.5 million, or 1 cents per share, in the year-earlier quarter.

Analysts, on average, expected a profit of 18 cents a share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Sales rose 2.3 percent to $1.83 billion, a touch lighter than analysts' call for sales of $1.84 billion.

Whole Foods forecast 2010 sales growth of 5 percent to 8 percent and same-store sales growth of 1 percent to 4 percent. Earnings are expected to be $1.05 to $1.10 per share for 2010, below analysts' call for a per share profit of $1.11.

Whole Foods shares fell to $29.26 from their closing price of $32.06 on the Nasdaq.

(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein; editing by Carol Bishopric)