LB LandBridge Company LLC

Limited Brands Inc. (LTD) sharply boosted its fiscal third-quarter profit target as it reported October same-store sales jumped a bigger-than-expected 9%.

The results come as the parent of Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works has been seeing a resurgence of late after struggling during the recession. Analysts, surveyed by Thomson Reuters, were expecting same-store sales for last month to rise 6% after a 4% decline a year earlier.

As such, Limited now expects earnings for the quarter ended Saturday of 15 cents to 17 cents a share, compared with August's view of 3 cents to 8 cents. Results for the period will be released Nov. 17.

The quarter's sales increased 12% to $1.98 billion--analysts were expecting $1.95 billion--as same-store sales climbed 10%.

Shares closed Wednesday at $29.84 and were inactive premarket. The stock has surged 55% this year.

-By Kevin Kingsbury; Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2354; kevin.kingsbury@dowjones.com