• MarketWatch, Thursday, February 18, 2010 10:54 AM

Wal-Mart Stores announced a 21% increase in fourth-quarter profit this morning as international growth offset a 0.5% dip in sales in the U.S. market, William Spain reports. The period includes sales from the Christmas shopping season.

"Walmart's exceptional earnings for the fourth quarter and the full year exceeded our expectations," says president and CEO Mike Duke in a statement. U.S. sales were about $71 billion. International sales rose 19.5% to $29.6 billion.

The company forecasts comparable store sales without fuel during the 13-week period of Jan. 30, through April 30 to be flat, plus or minus 1.0%. "We remain focused on growing top line sales," Duke says, "and expect improvement in the United States as the year progresses."

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