Its overseas operations, including UK supermarket Asda, helped Wal-Mart boost third-quarter profits by nine per cent to $3.4bn (around £2.2bn) compared with $3.15bn for the same quarter of 2009.


Subdued sales in its US home market were offset by Wal-Mart International. “Our international business continues to deliver impressive results with sales up more than nine per cent,” said Wal-Mart president and chief executive Mike Duke.


In the UK, Asda reported a third-quarter rise of 1.3 per cent in like-for-like sales and said ifs profits had grown ahead of sales.


It also announced that it will create 7,500 jobs next year - and 3,500 of them will be in new stores.


Asda pointed out that during the past five years it had increased sales by more than a third from around £15bn to £20bn, creating more than 30,000 jobs in the process.


In that time it has opened more than 70 new stores and rolled out a home shopping service.


“I’m proud to say next year we will once again create thousands of new jobs at every level our growing business,” said Asda president and chief executive Andy Clarke.