The TJX Companies, Inc., the off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions based in Framingham, on Tuesday reported strong sales and earnings results for the second quarter ended July 28, 2012.

Net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2013 increased 9% to $5.9 billion and consolidated comparable store sales increased 7%. Net income for the second quarter was $421 million.

For the first half of fiscal 2013, net sales were $11.7 billion, a 10 percent increase over last year, and consolidated comparable store sales increased 8 percent over the same period last year. Net income was $840 million for the first half of the year.

The TJX Companies, Inc. operates 1,005 T.J. Maxx, 891 Marshalls, and 393 HomeGoods stores in the United States; 220 Winners, 87 HomeSense, and 12 Marshalls stores in Canada; and 338 T.K. Maxx and 24 HomeSense stores in Europe.