LAKELAND, FL - Despite the steep climb that is the competitive grocery retail market, Publix is making headway toward the clouds, if you catch my drift. This week, the Florida-based retailer announced its financial report for the three-month period ending March 30, 2019, and growth was a major theme.

“I’m proud of our results and pleased with our stock price increase,” said Publix CEO Todd Jones. “I want to thank our associates for delivering premier customer service that makes shopping at Publix a pleasure.”

Publix reported sales of $9.7 billion, a 4.3 percent increase from $9.3 billion in 2018. Comparable stores also increased by 1.9 percent. Net earnings were $981 million, a 44.2 percent increase from $680.3 million in 2018. Lastly, earnings rose to $1.37 per share—up from $0.93 in 2018, making Publix's stock price $44.75 per share as of May 1, 2019, up from $42.85 per share in 2018.

According to the company’s release, these amounts are based on unaudited financial statements that will be filed today with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and made available on the company’s website at corporate.publix.com/stock. For more financial details, click here.

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Publix