Lower expenses and a 10 percent sales growth helped boost Fastenal Co's third-quarter net income by 13 percent, RTTNews reports. The Winona-based company, an industrial and construction supplier, posted a profit of $109.3 million, or 37 cents a share, compared to $96.8 million, or 33 cents a share, a year ago.

Land O'Lakes Inc. posted net income of $18 million in the third-quarter, compared to a $30 million loss a year earlier, the Star Tribune reports. The Arden Hills-based co-op also reported a seven percent increase in sales.

Capella Education, the parent company of the for-profit Capella University, says its third-quarter net income was $5.1 million, down nearly 50 percent compared to the $9.9 million it earned in the July-September quarter last year, the Associated Press reports. Even as total enrollment, revenue and net income fell, new student enrollment at the Minneapolis-based provider of online post-secondary education rose 10.5 percent compared to last year -- the first increase in nearly two years, Reuters reports.

St. Jude Medical, Inc. reported a 22 percent drop in profits for the third quarter, MarketWatch reports. The Little Canada-based medical equipment supplier and manufacturer posted a profit of $176 million, down from $227 million a year ago.

U.S. Bancorp, parent company of U.S. Bank, posted a record net income of $1.47 billion, a 16 percent jump from $1.27 billion a year-earlier, Bloomberg reports. “Earnings included continued strong mortgage-banking activity, which contributed to our growth in fee income, residential real estate loans and loans held for sale,” said CEO Richard Davis.

Boosted by double-digit sales growth across all of its product lines, Polaris Industries Inc. posted a net income of $94.3 million, a 40 percent jump from $67.6 million in the third quarter a year-ago, the Associated Press reports. The Medina-based all-terrain vehicles maker also lifted its full-year outlook for the third time.

Minneapolis-based U.S. Bancorp reported high-than-expected quarterly profit as revenue rose and set aside less money for bad loans. The fifth-largest U.S. commercial bank posted a net income of $1.42 billion in the second-quarter.

The Minneapolis bank -- the fifth largest in the country -- reports profits are up significantly for the third quarter this year. The bank has grown its lending business and benefited as fewer borrowers fall behind.