By Dominic Chopping

STOCKHOLM--Sweden's Hennes & Mauritz AB said Tuesday that its recovery from the coronavirus-led slump in retail has been better than expected, with preliminary results showing profit before tax of approximately 2 billion Swedish kronor ($228 million) in its fiscal third quarter.

The fashion retailer said well-received collections, rapid and decisive actions in response to Covid-19, more full-price sales and strong cost control all helped the company to achieve profit in the three months to Aug. 31.

The SEK2 billion pretax profit compares with SEK396 million expected in a FactSet poll and follows a SEK6.48 billion loss in the second quarter.

H&M posted a SEK5.01 billion profit in the third quarter of 2019.

Sales in the quarter fell 19% to SEK50.87 billion, compared with SEK51.53 billion expected by a FactSet poll. Sales in local currencies decreased by 16% year-on-year.

H&M said that at the beginning of the quarter approximately 900 of its more than 5,000 stores were temporarily closed, but at the end of the quarter just above 200 stores were temporarily closed.

Final results for the third quarter will be published on Oct. 1, it added.

Write to Dominic Chopping at dominic.chopping@wsj.com