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Feb 2 - Bebe Stores Inc's quarterly results came in ahead of market estimates as apparel retailer's styles resonated well with shoppers and it also saw improved gross margins.

Second-quarter net income from continuing operations was $6.6 million, or 8 cents a share, compared with $1.6 million, or 2 cents a share, last year.

Revenue at the company, known for its fashionable party and professional wear, rose 11.6 percent to $152.0 million.

Analysts on average had expected the company, which caters to fashion-conscious women between the ages 21 and 34, to earn 7 cents a share on revenue of $146.8 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Shares of Brisbane, California-based Bebe closed at $9.06 on Thursday on the Nasdaq.

(Reporting by Arpita Mukherjee in Bangalore; Editing by Maju Samuel)