ATLANTA-- The Home Depot recently reported record net earnings of $778 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2001, an increase of 19.7% compared with net earnings of $650 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2000.

Sales for the third quarter of fiscal 2001 totaled $13.3 billion, an increase of 15.1% from the third quarter of fiscal 2000. Comparable store sales for the third quarter of fiscal 2001 were flat with last year.

During the quarter, Home Depot opened 46 new stores, bringing the total store openings year-to-date to 161. At the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2001, the company operated a total of 1,295 stores.

The Home Depot indicated it expects to meet the current Wall Street earnings consensus of $0.28 diluted earnings per share for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2001, resulting in earnings per share for the fiscal year of $1.27, a 15% increase over fiscal 2000.