Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, Tuesday reported an almost 15-percent decline in quarterly profits.

The company said its net income for the quarter ending Jan. 31 fell to 5.16 billion dollars, or 1.50 dollars a share, from 6.06 billion a year earlier.

Total revenue increased 5.9 percent to 123.2 billion dollars in the quarter compared with the same period a year ago. Operating income increased 5.0 percent to 8.4 billion dollars.

Throughout the whole year, the company reported total revenues increased 5.9 percent to 443.9 billion dollars but profits declined 4.2 percent to 15.7 billion dollars.

Wal-Mart stock fell 4.34 percent to 59.77 dollars per share in New York. The shares gained 11 percent last year.

Wal-Mart CFO Charles Holley expects earnings per share for the first quarter fiscal 2013 to be between 1.01 dollars to 1.06 dollars, a little bit higher than last year's 0.98 dollars.