<p><strong>Lakeland, FL </strong></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Publix Super Markets announced their sales for the 2012 third quarter have increased from last year by 4.4%, earlier today.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Net earnings for the third quarter of 2012 totaled $368.4 million, an increase of 18.1% from the same period last year. Earnings per share for the third quarter increased to $0.47 for 2012, up from $0.40 per share in 2011. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>The company’s sales for the first nine months of 2012 were $20.5 billion, a 3.9 percent increase from last year’s $19.7 billion. Comparable-store sales for the first nine months of 2012 increased 2.6 percent.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Net earnings for the first nine months of 2012 were $1.2 billion, compared to $1.1 billion in 2011, an increase of 6.1 percent. Earnings per share increased to $1.48 for the first nine months of 2012, up from $1.39 per share in 2011.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>The company’s stock is made available for sale only to current Publix associates and members of its board of directors and starting today, the company’s stock value is raised to $22.50 from $22.00 per share.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>“Although the economy continues to be weak, I’m pleased with the improvement in our operating results and stock price,” says Publix CEO Ed Crenshaw. “I congratulate our associates for continuing to deliver exceptional customer service.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.publix.com" target="_new"> Publix </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
