Staples Posts Profit Increase of 26%

Staples Inc., the world’s top office supply retailer, said third-quarter earnings climbed 26% as the company sold more of its own products and benefited from strong demand for back-to-school items such as calculators.

Net income rose to $208.9 million, or 41 cents a share, from $165.8 million, or 33 cents, a year earlier, the Framingham, Mass.-based retailer said. Sales rose 12% to $3.83 billion.

Shares of Staples fell 32 cents to $30.87 on Nasdaq.