Wal-Mart has announced flat profits and slightly lower sales for the first three months of this year compared with a year ago.
Net profits for the world's largest retailer came in at $US3.02 billion, exactly the same as achieved in the same period last year. Sales were $US93.5 billion, down from $US94 billion a year ago.
The company said changes in currency rates hit sales to the tune of $US4.8 billion.
The BBC reports that compared with some retailers, Wal-Mart has traded well during the recession as consumers in the United States look for value-for-money products.
Sales in the US grew by 3.8%, while those at international stores fell by 11.1%.
On Wednesday, official figures showed that retail sales in the US fell 0.4% in April - much more than had been expected.
