Martin Lawrence Has Record 2nd Quarter

Martin Lawrence Limited Editions posted record second-quarter earnings of $279,000, up 481% from the same period last year. Sales were up 91%, to $2.9 million, also a record.

In the 1985 second quarter, the Van Nuys-based art concern earned $48,000 on sales of $1.5 million. Per share, the most recent earnings were 6.6 cents, versus 1 cent a year ago.

For the six months ended June 30, earnings rose 227%, to $432,000, or 10.2 cents a share, versus $132,000, or 3.1 cents a share, for the year-ago period. Sales rose 86%, to $5.0 million.

Martin Lawrence publishes limited edition prints and owns a chain of art galleries. Executives of Martin Lawrence, which recently retained an investment banker for unspecified reasons, did not return repeated telephone messages for elaboration on the results.