Exports, meanwhile, soared 51.8percentt last year, to $8.3 billion, surpassing forecasts by more than 10percentt.
In the teenage category, increases of more than 10percentt at Aéropostale and Buckle surpassed forecasts.
But the shares rose 18percentt because earnings, excluding special items, surpassed forecasts.
Safeway, the nation's third-largest grocer, posted a 42percentt rise in quarterly profit yesterday, matching expectations, but its shares fell as the growth failed to surpass forecasts.
One Wall Street analyst said May shares were trading higher because the company surpassed forecasts and because its sales of fall merchandise were healthier than those of this summer.
[C6.] Cisco Earnings Slightly Surpass Forecasts Cisco Systems reported second-quarter earnings that narrowly exceeded the projections of Wall Street analysts.
In the housing market, the National Association of Realtors said the sale of existing homes rose 12.3 percent in December to an annual rate of 5.28 million units, surpassing forecasts for a rise to 4.85 million.
The National Association of Purchasing Management said its manufacturing index rose to 47.9 in August from 43.6 in July, surpassing forecasts by some Wall Street economists that the index would rise only to 43.9.
Having said that it doesn't pay to be too pessimistic, as the rate of new discoveries and treatments are consistently surpassing forecasts.
The same night "Moonlight" won Best Picture, "Get Out" ended its fruitful theatrical debut with $33.4 million in North American grosses, surpassing forecasts that estimated a $28 million opening.
When gas recoveries surpassed forecasts, natural gas companies that had ignored North Dakota were forced to scramble to build pipelines needed to get the gas to market, officials said.
