Dec 13 (Reuters) - Empire Company Ltd EMPa.TO :
* EMPIRE COMPANY REPORTS STRONG FISCAL 2019 SECOND QUARTER RESULTS
* Q2 ADJUSTED EARNINGS PER SHARE C$0.40
* Q2 EARNINGS PER SHARE C$0.38
* Q2 EARNINGS PER SHARE ESTIMATE C$0.32 -- REFINITIV IBES DATA
* QTRLY SAME-STORE SALES EXCLUDING FUEL INCREASED BY 2.5%
* Q2 SALES ROSE 3.1 PERCENT
* PROJECT SUNRISE IS EXPECTED TO GENERATE AT LEAST $500 MILLION IN ANNUALIZED BENEFITS BY END OF FISCAL 2020
* QTRLY SALES $6,214.0 MILLION VERSUS $6,026.1 MILLION
* COMPANY IS INCURRING INCREASED LABOUR COSTS AS A RESULT OF MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES IN ONTARIO AND ALBERTA
* Q2 REVENUE VIEW C$6.15 BILLION -- REFINITIV IBES DATA
* FIRST TWO MANITOBA FRESHCO STORES ARE ON TRACK TO OPEN IN WINNIPEG IN SPRING OF 2019
* CONTINUES TO DEVELOP FURTHER PLANS TO MITIGATE IMPACTS FROM INCREASED LABOUR COSTS FOR FISCAL 2019 ONWARD
* ESTIMATES UNMITIGATED FINANCIAL IMPACT OF MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES COULD BE UP TO $70 MILLION IN FISCAL 2019
* ESTIMATE OF UP TO $70 MILLION IN FISCAL 2019 IMPACT FROM MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES DECREASED FROM $90 MILLION PREVIOUSLY DISCLOSED