St. Ives Reports Increases in Sales and Profits

St. Ives Laboratories cited stronger sales and wider profit margins for a 76% gain in second-quarter profit for the period ended June 30.

The Chatsworth maker of shampoo and other personal-care products said net income jumped to $1.4 million, or 24 cents a share, from $819,000, or 14 cents a share, a year earlier. Sales rose 12% to $23 million from $20.6 million.

For the first half of 1987, St. Ives’ earnings more than doubled to $2.6 million, or 44 cents a share, from $1.1 million, or 18 cents a share, a year ago. Six-month sales climbed to $42.2 million from $35.8 million.

St. Ives went public last month by selling 28% of its stock.