date:Feb 27, 2013
But higher gasoline prices, late tax refunds and the payroll tax increase have it wary about the coming year.
The company's stock rose in pre-market trading Thursday.
Wal-Mart, based in Bentonville, Ark., is considered an economic bellwether because the retailer accounts for nearly 10% of nonautomotive retail spending in the U.S.
Wal-Mart's latest results, which cover the three months ended Jan. 31, show that gasoline prices and the payroll tax increase of 2 percentage points are shrinking th