BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc. this week posted net income of $55.1 million, or $1.01 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009 ended Jan. 30, 2010. The results included post-tax income of $1.8 million, or 3 cents per diluted share, connected with payments the retailer received from a class action settlement involving credit card interchange fees charged by MasterCard and Visa. For the fourth quarter, total sales rose 9.4 percent to $2.74 billion, and comparable-club sales grew 4.6 percent, including a contribution from sales of gasoline of 2.3 percent.

For the year ended Jan. 30, 2010, total sales edged up 1.6 percent to $9.95 billion, while comps dipped 1.9 percent, including a negative impact from sales of gas of 5.9 percent. Excluding the impact of gasoline sales, merchandise comp sales grew 4.0 percent for the full year. Net income for the full year was $132.1 million, or $2.42 per diluted share.

For fiscal 2010, BJ’s expects to report net income in the range of $133.1 to $138.1 million, and earnings per diluted share in the range of $2.54 to $2.64. For the first quarter of 2010, the company anticipates net income in the range of $21.3 to $ 23.7 million, and earnings per diluted share in the range of 40 cents to 45 cents.

Natick, Mass.-based BJ’s operates 187 BJ’s Wholesale Clubs in 15 states.