Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) continued its string of excellent results in 2008 by announcing a 5.8% same-store sales increase in June sales this morning. Wal-Mart has turned in some impressive same-store sales figures in recent months on its core strength -- the marketing and selling "low prices" to its customers.

Save Money, Live Better is not just a marketing slogan for the retail giant, but a way of life it's trying to help provide to customers. After all, the more money you save on everyday items and groceries, the more you can afford that gas for the short vacation you've planned.

To achieve Wal-Mart's command over taking more customer money in a tough economy, the retailer announced that the U.S. federal tax stimulus checks were mostly responsible for the June sales upswing. In May, Wal-Mart also indicated that those checks were helping lift its sales -- so it's not the first time. Until those checks have all been distributed, it will most likely be a major beneficiary.

Following the strong sales, Wal-Mart increased its guidance for second-quarter results that ended June 30. Second-quarter earnings per share results are now expected be between $0.82 and $0.84.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) reported Q3 earnings before the bell this morning, and the world's largest retailer bested Wall Street estimates as quarterly profits rose 8% on improved U.S. performance and growth in international markets. The operative words in that previous sentence, however, are "improved U.S. performance." That's the big fish many analysts were hoping for.

Net income for the Q3 period rose to $2.86 billion from $2.65 billion a year ago, while earnings per share grew to $0.70 from $0.63. Total revenue grew to $91.95 billion from $84.47 billion a year ago as well. And, almost hitting double digits, Wal-Mart's net sales rose 9% as well from the year-ago quarter. International growth was responsible for a decent portion of that sales growth, with 16.9% year-over-year growth, while domestic sales rose 6.4% from the same period. Is that a decent figure or not? Based on the hellish conditions 2007 has brought on, from energy prices to housing market stagnation to dry credit holes from lenders, it's impressive.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) will be reporting results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2008 tomorrow morning before the market opens in a fashion that most likely will be list quarters past for years: a news release with some official comments but no live conference call or webcast. I hope this changes tomorrow morning, but I'm not counting on it. If it happens, stay tuned to BloggingStocks for a liveblog of the news coverage tomorrow morning bright and early. Wal-Mart hasn't given an official time for when the release will be issued, but I'd expect at about 8am EST or earlier.

Estimates for the quarter are for earnings of 77 cents and $92.75 billion in revenues, according to Thomson Financial. Wal-Mart continues to have any thunder stolen by smaller competitor Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT), which regularly posts better monthly same-store sales numbers. Proof? July numbers showed a 5.9% gain for Target in same-store sales while Wal-Mart poked along at 1.9%.

One thing that I have noticed in many newer and recently remodeled Wal-Mart Supercenters recently has been how agressively the retailer has been targeting the home electronics market. This fact was noted by 24/7 Wall St. and myself many times in recent months, and the proof is now viewable across Wal-Mart stores in the U.S. Flat-panel TVs seem to be the centerpiece of Wal-Mart's electronics strategy here, and we'll see if that product segment is discussed in the retailer's Q2 results tomorrow. For now (and for the last five years), Wal-Mart shares are languishing in mediocrity, and even a stellar quarter tomorrow probably will not change that.