May Stores’ Earnings Up 12%

May Department Stores Co. said its fiscal first-quarter earnings rose 12% to $110 million, or 44 cents a diluted share, from a year earlier, beating analysts’ estimates by a penny. The St. Louis-based department store operator said revenue rose 6% to $2.82 billion, and sales at stores open at least a year rose 4.5%. Several major retailers are expected to report earnings this week, and analysts are expecting good results because of the strong economy.