NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday reported a 0.7 percent rise in March sales at U.S. stores open at least a year, which was below Wall Street expectations, but the world’s largest retailer raised its first-quarter earnings forecast.

Analysts, on average, were expecting the company’s March same-store sales to rise 0.9 percent, according to Reuters Estimates, while the company had forecast sales to be flat to up 2 percent.

The retailer said net sales in the five weeks that ended April 4, rose to $36.97 billion from $34.26 billion a year earlier.

http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSWNAS732620080410