Sabre Yachts in Raymond celebrates 3,000th boat

Sabre Yachts in Raymond is celebrating the completion of its 3,000th boat, a Sabre 48 Solon Express, a twin diesel cruising boat.

The company said in a news release that it has been building boats in Maine for 43 years. It employs 160 people at two facilities near Sebago Lake in Raymond and 150 people at a boatyard in Rockland operated by its sister company, Black Cove Yachts.

The company’s first boat, built in 1971, was a 28-foot sailboat that sold for $14,335. In 1997, the company built its 2,000th boat, a sailing yacht. Sabre Yachts now builds powerboats that range from 38 feet to 54 feet, and it has a 66-footer under development for a 2015 launch.

The boat builder’s sales dropped sharply during the recession, but demand for its boats has since rebounded, company officials said.

Stronger quarterly profit pours in for Starbuck’s

Starbucks reported a stronger quarterly profit on Thursday as customers in the U.S. continued shelling out more money at its cafes.

The Seattle-based chain said global sales at established locations rose 6 percent for its second fiscal quarter, including in the U.S., where it has more than 11,000 cafes. Operating margin also improved as a result of lower costs for ingredients, and the company raised its profit outlook for the year.

For the quarter, the company earned $427 million, or 56 cents per share, which was in line with Wall Street expectations. A year ago, it earned $390.4 million, or 51 cents per share.

Revenue rose to $3.87 billion, but was short of the $3.96 billion analysts expected.

Its stock rose $1.10 to $72.19 in after-market trading.

First-quarter profit rises 18 percent for Amazon

Amazon’s first quarter profit rose 18 percent as shoppers continued to flock to the online mega retailer to buy goods.

Results beat expectations and shares rose nearly 2 percent in aftermarket trading.

Amazon has long focused on spending the money it makes to grow its business and expand into new areas, from movie streaming to e-readers and even grocery delivery. On Wednesday, it launched Prime Pantry, a grocery delivery service for Prime members. And earlier this month, it introduced its first set-top video streaming box called Amazon Fire that sells for $99. Rumors of an Amazon phone have been swirling as well, but nothing has materialized.

Winter storms cut revenue 12 percent for shipper UPS

First-quarter net income at UPS slumped 12 percent as winter storms increased costs for the shipping giant and cut into its revenue. The Atlanta company said Thursday that full-year earnings will come in at the low end of its earlier forecasts.

— From news service reports