PriceCostco Inc. on Thursday reported its third-quarter earnings edged up slightly from the year before, due in part to stronger sales.

The membership wholesalewarehouse chain earned $32.6 million, or 17 cents a share, for the quarter ended May 7, up from $32 million, or 15 cents a share, a year earlier.

Sales were $3.82 billion, up from $3.55 billion in 1994’s third quarter.

For the first nine months, earnings were $62.5 million, or 33 cents per share, on sales of $12 billion, compared with $61.3 million, or 28 cents per share, on sales of $11.17 billion a year earlier.

The 1994 results reflected a pretax merger and restructuring charge of $120 million.