http://www.reuters.com/financeNewsArticle.jhtml?type=marketsNews&story... NEW YORK, April 8 (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and other U.S. retailers reported mostly higher same-store sales for March on Thursday, led by strong demand for clothing.
Wal-Mart said U.S. same-store sales, a key retail gauge measuring sales at stores open at least a year, rose 6 percent. The world's biggest retailer had forecast a 4 percent to 6 percent increase.
March was a five-week period in the retail calendar, and typically accounts for the biggest portion of first-quarter sales.
"March should be about as good as it gets," said Martin Bukoll, retail analyst with Northern Trust.
However, he said it was not clear whether recent strength in the U.S. job market was sustainable, and pointed to record high gasoline prices as a major obstacle to sales growth.
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