Lakeland-based Publix Super Markets said its unaudited net earnings for the third quarter of 2009 climbed 26.3 percent to $254.9 million, up from $201.8 million in the same quarter of 2008.

Sales for the quarter rose 0.5 percent to $5.83 billion, compared with the year-ago quarter of $5.8 billion. Earnings per share increased to 32 cents a share, versus 25 cents in the prior-year period. Comparable-store sales for the period fell 4.7 percent, the company said in a news release Monday.

The employee-owned company said its stock price also rose 25 cents to $16.30 a share from $16.05. The stock is only sold to Publix employees and board members.

Publix has 1,015 stores in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee. The supermarket chain had sales of $23.9 billion in 2008.