Flowers Foods earnings rise on price increases

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bakery company Flowers Foods Inc. <FLO.N>, whose brands include Nature's Own, posted better-than-expected quarterly profit on Thursday, helped by price increases and stronger sales of higher-priced items.

Net income rose to $28.5 million, or 46 cents per share, from $22.9 million, or 37 cents per share, a year earlier.

Analysts on average were expecting earnings of 42 cents per share, according to Reuters Estimates.

Sales rose to $609.9 million from $563.6 million a year ago, helped by higher pricing, more sales of higher-priced items and higher sales volume.

The company affirmed its 2007 outlook of earnings per share from continuing operations of $1.33 to $1.43 per share and sales of $1.98 billion to $2.04 billion.

Analysts on average were expecting earnings of $1.39 per share on sales of $2.03 billion, according to Reuters Estimates.