ROANOKE, Va. — Advance Auto Parts has announced its financial results for the third quarter ended Oct. 9.

Third quarter comparable earnings per diluted share (EPS) were $1.03, which was a 49.3 percent increase over the third quarter last year. Including the 4 cent charge related to store divestitures recorded during the third quarter of fiscal 2009, EPS increased 58.5 percent.

“I would like to thank our 51,000 team members for delivering another record performance in our third quarter of 2010. Our passion for serving our customers and growing our business has enabled us to accelerate growth and capitalize on strong industry fundamentals and consumer demand for auto parts,” said CEO Darren Jackson. “Through the strength of our team and the focus on our strategies, we have produced comparable store sales and bottom-line results that exceeded our expectations. We will continue to focus on consistency and providing a differentiated experience by leading in service and ensuring superior parts availability.”

Total sales for the third quarter increased 11.4 percent to $1.41 billion, compared with total sales of $1.26 billion during the third quarter of fiscal 2009. The company said this sales increase reflected the net addition of 122 new stores during the past 12 months and a comparable store sales gain of 9.9 percent compared to a 4.7 percent comparable store sales gain during the third quarter of fiscal 2009.