TJX Cos., the Framingham-based company that operates such retail chains as T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods, said Thursday that same-store sales rose 3 percent in November when compared to sales in the same month a year ago; that gain was “above plan,” TJX said.

Same-store sales --- or sales at stores open at least a year --- are regarded by Wall Street analysts as a strong indicator of a retailer’s performance. (Same-store sales are also referred to as comp-store sales.)