Family Dollar Stores

The discount retailer raised its full-year profit forecast, thanks to consumer demand for lower-priced staples. Earnings will probably be $2.03 to $2.07 a share, the Charlotte, N.C., company said. Its previous forecast called for profit of $2 a share, at most. The company said it is investing in technology to accommodate food stamp and credit card transactions. In the quarter ended May 30, profit increased 36 percent from a year earlier to $87.7 million, or 62 cents a share. Sales climbed 8.3 percent. The stock has climbed 19 percent this year.