Oct. 22--Two area companies reported Wednesday that, despite a challenging economy, their earnings for the third quarter of this year topped results from a year ago.

The Eastern Co. in Naugatuck and the French parent company of Bic Corp. in Shelton released earnings reports.

Bic Group earned $73.2 million last quarter, up about 14.5 percent from $63.9 million in the third quarter of 2008. Those earnings break down to $1.52 per share last quarter, compared with $1.32 for the same quarter a year ago.

Two of the company's three main product categories saw sales increase last quarter, compared with a year ago.

Bic's lighters division had sales grow about 2 percent, to $147 million, while its shavers business unit grew less than 1 percent to $106.5 million.

Its stationery division, though, saw sales drop about 4 percent to $247.5 million.

"In decreasing markets, our consumer business shows good resilience and we have maintained or grown our market share in most categories and geographies," Bic's Chief Executive Officer Mario Guevara said in a statement.

As a foreign company, Bic Group does not trade on American stock exchanges, but rather on the Euronext Paris, SBF 100 and CAC Mid 100 indexes.

Also Wednesday, The Eastern Co., a manufacturer of industrial hardware and security products, said its thirdquarter net income totaled $907,000, or 15 cents per diluted share, up almost 4 percent from $875,000 or 14 cents per diluted share from the third quarter of 2008.

"Although the general economy continues to remain soft, there are indications that some of the markets we serve are beginning to show signs of recovery," Leonard Leganza, chairman, president and CEO of the company, said in a statement.

The company's third-quarter sales, at $28.1 million, were 19 percent less than the same quarter last year.

But Leganza noted that thirdquarter sales held steady with first- and second-quarter totals, "a general indication that the markets we serve have leveled off and are not deteriorating any further."

The Eastern Co. operates nine locations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Taiwan and China.

The company's stock closed Wednesday at $15.49, down 82 cents.

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