Finance Notes: U.K. Sports Retailer Sports Direct Int'l Reports 11.2% Rise In Sales

The U.K.'s largest sportswear retailer, Sports Direct Int'l PLC, Wednesday "reported an 11.2% rise in sales" for the 13 weeks ended Jan. 26, helped by a strong online performance, and said that "it is confident of achieving its full year earnings target." Sports Direct, which has around 400 stores in the U.K. and smaller operations in mainland Europe, said that group sales rose to £655.4M ($1.1B) from £589.5M over the same period a year earlier. Gross profit increased 14.6% to £280.7M (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/19). ... Pay-TV operator Sky Network Television "is mulling a retail bond offer" to raise up to $100M. The Auckland-based company "is seeking preliminary indications of interest on what will probably be a seven-year unsecured, unsubordinated fixed rate bond" (AAP, 2/18).