Calgary-based sporting goods retailer the Forzani Group Ltd. announced Wednesday it plans to initiate a fourth-quarter dividend after reporting a record second-quarter profit -- nearly tripling net earnings registered a year ago.

Subject to the board's "discretion," the annual dividend of 30 cents per share will be paid quarterly beginning in the fourth quarter of this fiscal year.

Bob Sartor, the company's CEO, called it a "blowout quarter," during a conference call with financial analysts.

Same-store sales in corporate locations in the second quarter were up 0.4 per cent and increased 6.1 per cent in franchise locations, over the fiscal 2007 second quarter, for an overall same-store sales increase of 2.5 per cent. Revenue, consisting of store sales, service income, equipment rentals, franchise fees and franchise royalties, was $292.4 million, up $8.4 million, or three per cent over the comparable period last year.