Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ((NYSE:WMT) reported on Thursday third quarter diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of $1.08, within guidance of $1.04 to $1.09. This was an 11.3 percent increase from the $0.97 per share reported for the third quarter last year.

The company updated its full year earnings guidance, narrowing the range by five cents to $4.88 to $4.93. The top of the range remains unchanged from the guidance provided last quarter, when the company tightened the range and increased it by a penny.

Net sales were $113.2 billion, a 3.4 percent increase over last year. Currency exchange rate fluctuations negatively impacted net sales by approximately $1.7 billion. Without the currency impact, net sales would have been $114.9 billion, a 4.9 percent increase.