Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest retailer, posted third-quarter earnings Tuesday of $2.86 billion, an 8 percent increase.

Wal-Mart had revenue of $91.95 billion in the period ending Oct. 31, up 8.8 percent from $84.47 billion a year ago.

Third-quarter same-store sales, not counting fuel, were up 1.5 percent, year-over-year. The Bentonville-Atk.-based company said it expects same-store sales for the fourth quarter to rise no more than 2 percent.

Last November, Wal-Mart reported its first negative monthly same-store sales in a decade as a push into higher-end fashion and home decor sold poorly and muddied its low-price image, The Associated Press reports. For the period, November through January, which includes most sales from gift cards redeemed after the holidays, same-store sales slowed to 1.3 percent last year from 7.2 percent in 2001/2002.

Wal-Mart’s early start in this year’s holiday came under a cloud when it reported October same-store sales were flat for the namesake stores, minus Sam’s Clubs, on the back of unseasonably warm weather that hit sales of clothes and other seasonal goods, the AP reports.

JCK