Wal-Mart's Same-Store Sales Rise

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Wal-Mart (WMT Quote) says November same-store sales rose 3.4%, as consumers shopped more ahead of the holidays as gas prices dropped.

Same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least one year, rose 3.4% at Wal-Mart stores and 3.5% at its Sam's Club warehouse division. Including fuel, same-store sales rose 3%.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters, on average, had expected same-store sales to rise 2.1%.

Total sales rose 2% to $32.21 billion, hurt by an 11% decline in international sales due to the stronger dollar. In the U.S., sales of groceries boosted results.

The company expects December same-store sales to rise at the high end of a 1% to 3% range.