Swedish fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz AB (HM-B.SK) Wednesday said sales at stores open for at least a year rose 1% on the year in April, ending a six-month stretch of comparative sales decline.

 
   MAIN FACTS:

-Analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires had forecast a like-for-like sales increase of 6.7%.

-H&M says unseasonably cold weather in Europe hit April sales.

-H&M has seen comparable sales in negative territory for the past six months.

-Total sales, including value-added tax in local currencies, rose 11% in April compared with the same month a year earlier.

-Analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires had forecast a total sales increase of 15.4%.

-H&M had 2881 stores on Apr. 30, compared with 2549 stores at the same time last year.

-Shares ended Friday at SEK228.90.

-Write to Jens Hansegard at jens.hansegard@dowjones.com

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