The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX) reported better-than-expected third-quarter financial results on Wednesday, with earnings and revenue topping analyst estimates.

Adjusted earnings per share were $1.28, above the analyst consensus of $1.23. Revenue reached $15.1 billion, exceeding expectations of $14.84 billion and increasing 7% from the year-ago period. Comparable-store sales rose 5%, significantly above the company's internal projections.

TJX reported a pretax profit margin of 12.7%, surpassing its forecast and expanding 0.4 percentage points from last year. Gross margin improved to 32.6%, up 1.0 point year-over-year, supported by higher merchandise margins and improved expense leverage.

All operating divisions posted strong comparable sales, led by TJX Canada at 8%, followed by Marmaxx in the U.S. at 6%, HomeGoods at 5%, and TJX International at 3%.

The company returned $1.1 billion to shareholders during the quarter, including $594 million for repurchasing 4.2 million shares and $472 million in dividend payments.

TJX maintained its full-year comparable sales growth target of 4% and raised its pretax profit margin forecast to 11.6%. For the fourth quarter, the retailer projected comparable sales growth of 2% to 3% and EPS of $1.33 to $1.36, slightly below the analyst expectation of $1.37.