Wal-Mart shares soared yesterday (up 10.9%) after the company reported its best sales in years. Sales at existing stores rose 2.7% in the latest quarterโ€”the 13th consecutive quarter of gains and the fastest since May 2009. Wal-Mart is making an aggressive push online. Online sales are up 50% over the last year.

The WSJ has more.

The worldโ€™s biggest retailer posted its strongest quarterly U.S. sales growth in nearly a decade Thursday, boosted by a big jump in e-commerce and strong store traffic at a time when many traditional retailers are struggling to keep their business growing.

Shares jumped more than 8% in morning trading Thursday, setting an all-time high. The companyโ€™s share price has rallied 41% so far this year, much of the gains coming since October after Wal-Mart said it would grow profits and sales in its 4,700 U.S. stores as well as online.

โ€œI can tell you weโ€™ve got plenty of work to do still in our stores. But Iโ€™m pleased with the momentum and pleased with the plan we have in place,โ€ said Greg Foran, chief executive of Wal-Mart U.S., on a conference call with reporters.