TJX sales jump 6 percent; off to 'solid' start in 4th quarter

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The Framingham-based parent of off-price retailers T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods reported another strong quarter Tuesday, with a 6-percent increase in sales and a 13-percent jump in diluted earnings per share.

The TJX Cos. said net sales for its third quarter, which ended Nov. 1, totaled $7.5 billion, up from $7 billion in the same quarter last year. For the first nine months of its 2015 fiscal year, net sales were $20.8 billion, up 6 percent increase over last year, with same-store store sales rising 2 percent, according to the company.

TJX reported net income of $595 million, or 85 cents per share, down slightly from last year’s 86 cents per share, which included a tax benefit of 11 cents. Excluding that, diluted earnings per share increased 13 percent on an adjusted basis over 75 cents in the third quarter of the 2014 fiscal cycle.

CEO Carol Meyrowitz said she was "very pleased" with the performance, according to a statement. She cited continued increase in customer traffic across all but TJX Europe, where unusually warm weather “dampened sales.”

The revenue and profit increases were spread across all geographies where TJX has stores: the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Meanwhile, the fourth quarter is off to a "solid start," said Meyrowitz, with TJX expecting earnings of between 86 and 90 cents per share, a 6- to 11-percent increase over last year’s fourth quarter. For the full year, TJX said it expects earnings to fall between $3.07 and $3.11 per share, above last year's $2.94.

The company also said it expanded with the addition of 106 stores in the third quarter.