CHICAGO (Reuters) - Cooper Industries Ltd., a maker of electrical products, tools and hardware, on Thursday said its sales have increased about 6 percent to 8 percent in the past three months, reflecting modestly improved market conditions and the effects of the weaker US dollar.

The Bermuda-based company said in a regulatory filing that its electrical product sales increased three percent to five percent in the three months ended November 30 from the comparable period a year ago.

It said residential construction continued to be strong and its commercial and industrial markets improved modestly.

Those sales had been up one percent to three percent in the three months ended Oct. 31, up 2 percent in the three months ended September 30 and flat in the three months ended August 31.

Three-month sales of tools and hardware soared 21 percent to 23 percent, helped by strength in power tools, the company said.

Such sales had been up 20 percent to 22 percent in the period ended Oct. 31, up 21 percent in the period ended Sept. 30 and up 8 percent to 10 percent in the period ended Aug. 31.

Cooper Industries said the sales figures include the impact of acquisitions and divestitures and are not necessarily indicative of business trends.