BRIEFCASE.

Byline: Staff and wire services

Cheesecake gets bigger slice of pie

CALABASAS - The Cheesecake Factory Inc.'s massive meals racked up some hefty sales in the fourth quarter, as the chain reported a 24 percent jump in revenue on Tuesday.

Between restaurant and bakery sales, it sold $266 million worth of goods, up from $214 million. Income increased to $20.5 million, 26 cents per share, from $15.6 million, 20 cents per share. Same store sales increased 3 percent.

Oxygen firm Chad reports strong Q3

CHATSWORTH - Oxygen delivery equipment manufacturer Chad Therapeutics Inc. had a strong third quarter but cautioned 2005 could be softer than anticipated. Sales climbed to $6.4 million from $5.2 million in the same period a year ago, while earnings improved slightly to $505,000, 5 cents per share, from $418,000, 4 cents per share, a year ago.

For the full year, Chad now expects sales around $25 million, with earnings between $1.8 million and $2 million, or 17 cents to 19 cents per share.

Cisco reports rise in earnings for Q2

SAN JOSE - Cisco Systems Inc.'s fiscal second quarter profits nearly doubled, though sales missed expectations, as the company continued to see strength both in its traditional router and switching businesses and emerging technologies such as Internet phones.

The San Jose-based network equipment maker also said Tuesday that it expected the upward trend to continue in the third quarter with year-over- year revenue growth as high as 10 percent, even though the period is historically one of the weakest.

For the three months ended Jan. 29, Cisco earned $1.4 billion, or 21 cents per share, compared with $724 million, or 10 cents per share, in the same period last year.

Sears to introduce 'Essentials' sites

DETROIT - Sears Roebuck and Co. plans to convert some stores it bought from Kmart and Wal-Mart last year into a new concept this spring.

The new Sears Essentials stores also will give shoppers a hint of what a merged Kmart and Sears will look like.

The Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based retailer said Tuesday it would introduce Sears Essentials, a midsize version of its Sears Grand concept, at 50 stores it acquired last year from Kmart Holding Corp. and six from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. The stores are in several states, including Michigan, California, Florida and Illinois.

Splenda files suit over denigration 

PHILADELPHIA - So much for being sweet - the Splenda war just turned a little more sour.

The marketers of the popular sugar substitute filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Delaware on Tuesday alleging that the Sugar Association and other groups are waging a ``malicious smear campaign'' against their product in an attempt to boost sugar sales.

McNeil Nutritionals, the unit of Johnson & Johnson that markets Splenda, is seeking corrective advertising and unspecified damages. The lawsuit says the defendants are trying to convince consumers that Splenda is ``unhealthy or unsafe'' and that they ``would be better off consuming refined sugar, which has been linked to an increase in the prevalence of obesity and its related health risks.''

NFL yanks ad from Super Bowl airing

NEW YORK - A racy TV ad for a vendor of Web site names was pulled before a second showing during the Super Bowl after NFL executives objected that the spot made light of Janet Jackson's ``wardrobe malfunction'' in last year's halftime show.

The ad for GoDaddy.com Inc. featured a woman appearing before a ``broadcast censorship'' hearing. She makes her case that she wants to appear in a commercial, when suddenly a strap breaks on her already skimpy top.

Although the spot was approved by Fox executives and aired once during the telecast Sunday, a decision was made during the broadcast not to air it again later in the game. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said that the league's chief operating officer, Roger Godell, expressed his ``disappointment'' to Fox executives after seeing the first airing of the ad.

Warren Adelman, chief operating officer of GoDaddy.com, said the company was ``very disappointed'' that the ad was pulled and received no advance warning from Fox. The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company is still in discussions with Fox about what kind of restitution would be made, he said.