Walmart

Ed Lin Companies can show confidence in their prospects in many ways, but $1 billion of stock repurchases certainly trumps a “cautiously optimistic” outlook. Among retailers, that’s a breathtaking amount of buyback activity. That’s how much Walmart laid out to buy back shares in the fiscal second quarter ended July 26. What’s even more impressive is that the retailer didn’t significantly curb buying as the share price rose. Walmart paid $363 million in May for 5.8 million shares, an average price of $62.19 each, according to a form the company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Then it paid $292 million in June for 4.4 million shares, an average price of $67.12 each, and paid $339 million in July for 4.9 million shares, an average price per share of $69.66. At the end of July, Walmart had $14.5 billion allocated for share repurchases. Walmart stock has only climbed since

Walmart’s (WMT) Q2 results confirmed its ability to perform well across various economic conditions by taking advantage of special events, UBS said in a note emailed Friday. July was a tough month for retailers, but Walmart saw strong sales during Independence Day holiday and a good response to the start of back-to-school season. The company saw a 26% increase in overall advertising revenue, primarily driven by a 30% rise in the US Connect segment. The company’s global e-commerce segment had a 21% growth, the investment firm said. Walmart’s cost of delivery fell by 40% year over year, attributed to improved density and a rise in fees for expedited shipping options, UBS analysts noted. Walmart’s outlook for Q3 includes a modest increase in sales, with expectations of continued momentum in back-to-school sales and a conservative H2 guidance for operating income growth of 4% to 5%. UBS retained the buy rating for

Walmart is one of the most mentioned companies in the U.S. across all news items in the past 12 hours, according to Factiva data. Walmart posted strong second-quarter sales and higher profits, and executives said they don’t see signs of fraying demand. Walmart said that its U.S. comparable sales, which measures both stores and e-commerce, rose 4.2% in the quarter, a faster pace than in the previous two quarters. Executives said shoppers are gravitating to deals as well as the convenience of online order pickup and delivery, which led to customer gains, especially among higher-income shoppers. Dow Jones & Co. owns Factiva.

Walmart indicates that it will accelerate price rollbacks as cost inflation eases, which is a clear signal that consumer price inflation is moderating, says David Silverman, senior director of Fitch Ratings. The retail giant’s robust 2Q results amid a choppy spending climate suggests some stabilization for its customer base, although that growth likely came more from share gains, Silverman says. Walmart’s price competitiveness has allowed it to pick up market share from competitors, though its omnichannel and supply chain enhancements are helping too, Silverman says.

Walmart (WMT) is expected to report in-line Q2 earnings per share and US comparable sales despite a weak consumer/retail backdrop and moderating expectations for the company, Morgan Stanley said in an earnings preview Thursday. The firm said it does not see any risk to Walmart’s valuation “even with an in-line quarter” as long as it keeps a consistent market share compared with peers and relative to Amazon.com (AMZN), and growth of its US earnings before interest and taxes exceeds sales growth driven by “fast-growing higher margin alternative revenue.” Alternative profits, including digital media, 3P marketplace, and membership growth alongside supply chain savings, are expected to drive US margin expansion in Q2, according to the note. International growth will fall behind Q1 due to fewer holiday contributions, the firm said. “Given slow July retail data, the risks of a consumer slowdown rising and an upcoming election in [H2], we think retaining

Shares of Walmart Inc (NYSE:WMT) reported better-than-expected results for its first quarter. The results came amid an exciting earnings season. Here are some key analyst takeaways. Bank of America analyst Robert Ohmes maintained a Buy rating, while raising the price target from $67 to $75. KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Bradley Thomas reiterated an Overweight rating, while lifting the price target from $63 to $75. BMO Capital Markets analyst Kelly Bania reaffirmed an Outperform rating, while raising the price target from $65 to $75. Telsey analyst Joseph Feldman reiterated an Outperform rating, while raising the price target from $68 to $70. Roth Capital Partners analyst Bill Kirk maintained a Buy rating, while lifting the price target from $69 to $71. JPMorgan analyst Christopher Horvers reaffirmed a Neutral rating on the stock. Check out other analyst stock ratings. BofA Securities: Walmart has momentum “across all income cohorts.” “Delivery is now larger than pickup for

Walmart (WMT) remains a healthy, effectively managed company with “solid growth” and “strong flow through,” RBC Capital Markets said in a note, raising its Q2 earnings estimate to $0.64 per share from $0.62 and increasing its price target $70 from $62. “A growing profit contribution from advertising and membership income supports a re-rating,” RBC said, maintaining its outperform rating. Walmart’s Q1 results had “few holes to poke,” RBC said, noting that management had shared that sales were consistent when normalized for unusual calendar and weather events. Also important is that customers’ grocery purchases increasingly include lower-priced proprietary Walmart brands, giving the retailer “more leverage in supplier negotiations,” the analysts said.

Walmart is one of the most mentioned companies in the U.S. across all news items in the past 12 hours, according to Factiva data. The retailer’s net income hit $5.1 billion in the fiscal first quarter, or 63 cents a share, versus a FactSet consensus estimate of 52 cents a share. Revenue grew 6% to $161.51 billion, compared with analyst expectations of $159.6 billion. Walmart expects second-quarter adjusted EPS of 62 cents to 65 cents, compared with the FactSet consensus of 64 cents. It expects full-year adjusted EPS to be at the high-end or slightly above original guidance of $2.23 to $2.37, with net sales at the high end or slightly above the previously expected range of a 3% to 4% increase. Dow Jones & Co. owns Factiva.

We lift our 12-month target to $72 from $68, 27.2x our FY 26 (Jan.) EPS of $2.65 (up from $2.61; FY 25’s up to $2.46 from $2.42) vs. the 24x historical average. FQ1 (Apr-Q) adj-EPS of $0.60 (+22% Y/Y) beat the $0.52 consensus, with Walmart U.S. comp sales up 3.8% (+3.8% transactions; 0% average ticket) vs. 3.5% consensus. Adj-operating income grew 14% Y/Y, with margin +30 bps Y/Y to 4.4%. While WMT raised its FY 25 guidance, we think it is still conservative given the strength and momentum in all three segments (i.e., Walmart U.S.; International; Sam’s Club). We keep a Buy, as we see market share gains continuing, not just in grocery, but also in general merchandise due to WMT’s rapidly growing online marketplace. We believe WMT has plenty of long-term growth in its higher-margin services streams (e.g., advertising, fulfillment services, data analytics, subscriptions), which, in addition to changes

Consumers are responding to Walmart’s lower prices with strong sell-throughs, CEO Doug McMillon says on a call with analysts following the retail giant’s 1Q results. The company’s making progress lowering prices, which McMillon says are important to its customer and membership base. Walmart recently announced the biggest release of a private food brand in 20 years, with 70% of the products priced under $5. “Our combination of everyday low prices plus a large number of rollbacks is resonating.” Shares rise 5.9% to $63.33.

Walmart is seeing gains from its advertising business and expanding its data analysts and insights product, Walmart Luminate, into Mexico and Canada. The retail giant’s advertising business was up 24% in the latest quarter, with U.S. ad sales reflecting more than 50% growth from marketplace sellers while overall active advertiser counts increasing nearly 19%. Sam’s ad business now has 30% more active advertisers from last year. Advertising, membership, marketplace and fulfillment and data analytics are higher-margin growth drivers, and they are leading to corresponding improvements in Walmart’s business mix, Finance Chief John D. Rainey says on a call. Shares rise 6% to $63.40.