LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Liquor producer Brown-Forman Corp.said Wednesday that its second-quarter
net income rose 19 percent,fueled by strong demand for its flagship Jack Daniel’s brand and itsother premium
whiskeys that more than offset a shakier performance forsome of its other spirits.The company reported net
sales gains in the U.S. and overseas in the first six months of the year."Wecontinue to generate an
excellent balance of geographic growth,including strong growth in emerging markets," said Brown-Forman
CEO PaulVarga.The full Jack Daniel’s lineup posted an 8 percent increasein net sales over the first six
months of the year, excluding currencyswings, the company said.That led a round of strong sales for
theLouisville-based company’s whiskey brands. The company reportedespecially strong sales for Jack Daniel’s
Tennessee Honey, driven by theproduct’s introduction in several overseas markets and its continuedgrowth in
the U.S.The company reported double-digit net salesgrowth in the quarter for its pricier super-premium
whiskey brands suchas Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, Gentleman Jack and Woodford Reservebourbon. Its Old
Forester brand also had strong quarterly sales growth.Meanwhile, net sales for the six-month period dropped
for some of the company’s other key brands.Netsales for the el Jimador tequila lineup dropped 8 percent
whenexcluding currency swings. Net sales for Finlandia vodka products fell 2percent, and sales for the
Southern Comfort brand were down 5 percenton the same constant-currency basis.Sales for Korbel Champagne
rose 3 percent, while Canadian Mist sales slipped by 1 percent.Overall,the company reported net income of
$206 million, or 96 cents per share,in the quarter that ended Oct. 31. That’s up from $173 million, or
80cents per share, the year before. Quarterly net sales rose 6 percent to$1.08 billion.Analysts surveyed by
FactSet expected earnings of 91 cents per share on net sales of $1.11 billion.The net income growth
reflected sales gains across the spectrum of markets.Inthe U.S., net sales in the six-month period grew by 5
percent,excluding distributor inventory changes, the company said. In developedmarkets overseas, those sales
grew by 7 percent, excluding foreigncurrency swings and inventory changes. The upswing was led
bydouble-digit growth in the United Kingdom, France and Japan.Salesgains also occurred in emerging markets,
with especially strongperformances in China, Brazil, Russia, Thailand, Turkey and India, thecompany
said.Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rightsreserved. This material may not be published, broadcast,
rewritten orredistributed.