Notably, the company has long been gaining from its constant omnichannel efforts to combat the growing dominance of Amazon AMZN. This has helped this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock gain 14% in the year so far compared with the industry’s growth of 12.2%.” data-reactid=”16″>Walmart Inc. WMT posted second-quarter fiscal 2020 results, wherein earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the sixth straight time, and sales increased on strength in the U.S. business. Further, management raised earnings guidance. Shares of the company were up more than 6% during the pre-market trading session.
Notably, the company has long been gaining from its constant omnichannel efforts to combat the growing dominance of Amazon AMZN. This has helped this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock gain 14% in the year so far compared with the industry’s growth of 12.2%.
<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="Quarter in Detail
Walmart’s adjusted earnings came in at $1.27 per share, topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.21. However, earnings dropped 1.6% year over year. This could be due to lower operating income, which continued to be hurt by Flipkart’s inclusion.
Total revenues jumped 1.8% to $130.4 billion. The Zacks Consensus Estimate was pegged at $130.5 billion. The year-over-year upside was largely driven by strength in the U.S. business. On a currency-neutral basis, total revenues grew 2.9% to $131.7 billion.
Consolidated gross profit margin contracted 46 basis points (bps) on account of the impact from Flipkart’s addition and continued price investments in various markets. Gross margin in Walmart U.S. contracted 22 bps due to constant price investments, higher markdowns and rising e-commerce mix.
Consolidated operating income fell 2.9% to $5.6 billion. On a constant-currency (cc) basis, operating income declined nearly 2.4%. Results were hurt by Flipkart’s inclusion.
Segment Details
Walmart U.S.: The segment’s net sales grew 2.9% to $85.2 billion in the quarter. U.S. comps, excluding fuel, improved 2.8% backed by a 0.6% rise in transactions and 2.2% in ticket.
Further, e-commerce sales drove comps by 140 bps. E-commerce sales soared 37% on the back of strength in online grocery. Notably, Walmart U.S. exceeded 1,100 delivery locations during the quarter, and now has more than 2,700 pickup locations. Also, Walmart’s NextDay delivery service from its website covers roughly 75% of the U.S. population now. Operating income at the Walmart U.S. segment increased nearly 4% to $4.7 billion.
Walmart International: Segment net sales slipped 1.1% to $29.1 billion. On a currency-neutral basis, net sales inched up 3.3% to $30.4 billion, with nine out of 10 markets registering positive comps. Operating income at this segment fell 29.6% to $0.9 billion. On a currency-neutral basis, operating income slumped 27.3% to $0.9 billion.
Sam’s Club: The segment, which comprises membership warehouse clubs, saw its net sales rise 1.8% to $15 billion. Sam’s Club comps, excluding fuel, rose 1.2%. While transactions increased 5%, ticket was down 3.8%. E-commerce fueled comps by nearly 180 bps. Segment operating income came in at $0.5 billion, up 19.4% year over year.
Other Financial Updates
In the first six months of fiscal 2020, Walmart generated operating cash flow of $11.2 billion and incurred capital expenditures of $4.9 billion, resulting in free cash flow of $6.3 billion. Walmart allocated $1.5 billion toward dividends and made share buybacks worth $1.6 billion during the fiscal second quarter.
Recent Developments & View
Walmart continues to focus on boosting innovation and leveraging technology to drive growth. Management remains pleased with its quarterly performance, and revised its outlook for fiscal 2020.
The company now anticipates fiscal 2020 consolidated net sales growth of nearly 3% compared with the previous outlook of at least 3%. Management’s earlier guidance included benefits from Flipkart, adverse impacts from Walmart Brazil’s deconsolidation and planned tobacco sales cut downs at Sam’s Club.
Further, management continues to project Walmart U.S. e-commerce net sales growth of 35% year over year. However, Walmart International net sales are now expected to rise 3-4% at cc against the earlier view of increase 5% at cc.
U.S. comps are now expected to advance at the higher end of the previously guided range of 2.5-3% (excluding fuel). Comps at Sam’s Club are likely to grow roughly 1%, excluding fuel, and nearly 3%, excluding tobacco fuel.
The company now expects consolidated operating income growth in a range of slight decline to slight rise (including Flipkart) and increase at a low to mid single-digit rate (excluding Flipkart). Earlier, management forecasted consolidated operating income to fall low-single digits (including Flipkart) and rise low-single digits (excluding Flipkart).
Finally, bottom-line growth is now envisioned between little decrease to slight rise (including Flipkart) and increase at a mid to high single-digit rate (excluding Flipkart). Earlier, the company projected earnings per share to decline at a low-single-digit rate year over year (including Flipkart), whereas the same was expected to increase in a low to mid single-digit rate (excluding Flipkart).
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See these 7 breakthrough stocks now>>” data-reactid=”28″>Quarter in Detail
Walmart’s adjusted earnings came in at $1.27 per share, topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.21. However, earnings dropped 1.6% year over year. This could be due to lower operating income, which continued to be hurt by Flipkart’s inclusion.
Total revenues jumped 1.8% to $130.4 billion. The Zacks Consensus Estimate was pegged at $130.5 billion. The year-over-year upside was largely driven by strength in the U.S. business. On a currency-neutral basis, total revenues grew 2.9% to $131.7 billion.
Consolidated gross profit margin contracted 46 basis points (bps) on account of the impact from Flipkart’s addition and continued price investments in various markets. Gross margin in Walmart U.S. contracted 22 bps due to constant price investments, higher markdowns and rising e-commerce mix.
Consolidated operating income fell 2.9% to $5.6 billion. On a constant-currency (cc) basis, operating income declined nearly 2.4%. Results were hurt by Flipkart’s inclusion.
Segment Details
Walmart U.S.: The segment’s net sales grew 2.9% to $85.2 billion in the quarter. U.S. comps, excluding fuel, improved 2.8% backed by a 0.6% rise in transactions and 2.2% in ticket.
Further, e-commerce sales drove comps by 140 bps. E-commerce sales soared 37% on the back of strength in online grocery. Notably, Walmart U.S. exceeded 1,100 delivery locations during the quarter, and now has more than 2,700 pickup locations. Also, Walmart’s NextDay delivery service from its website covers roughly 75% of the U.S. population now. Operating income at the Walmart U.S. segment increased nearly 4% to $4.7 billion.
Walmart International: Segment net sales slipped 1.1% to $29.1 billion. On a currency-neutral basis, net sales inched up 3.3% to $30.4 billion, with nine out of 10 markets registering positive comps. Operating income at this segment fell 29.6% to $0.9 billion. On a currency-neutral basis, operating income slumped 27.3% to $0.9 billion.
Sam’s Club: The segment, which comprises membership warehouse clubs, saw its net sales rise 1.8% to $15 billion. Sam’s Club comps, excluding fuel, rose 1.2%. While transactions increased 5%, ticket was down 3.8%. E-commerce fueled comps by nearly 180 bps. Segment operating income came in at $0.5 billion, up 19.4% year over year.
Other Financial Updates
In the first six months of fiscal 2020, Walmart generated operating cash flow of $11.2 billion and incurred capital expenditures of $4.9 billion, resulting in free cash flow of $6.3 billion. Walmart allocated $1.5 billion toward dividends and made share buybacks worth $1.6 billion during the fiscal second quarter.
Recent Developments & View
Walmart continues to focus on boosting innovation and leveraging technology to drive growth. Management remains pleased with its quarterly performance, and revised its outlook for fiscal 2020.
The company now anticipates fiscal 2020 consolidated net sales growth of nearly 3% compared with the previous outlook of at least 3%. Management’s earlier guidance included benefits from Flipkart, adverse impacts from Walmart Brazil’s deconsolidation and planned tobacco sales cut downs at Sam’s Club.
Further, management continues to project Walmart U.S. e-commerce net sales growth of 35% year over year. However, Walmart International net sales are now expected to rise 3-4% at cc against the earlier view of increase 5% at cc.
U.S. comps are now expected to advance at the higher end of the previously guided range of 2.5-3% (excluding fuel). Comps at Sam’s Club are likely to grow roughly 1%, excluding fuel, and nearly 3%, excluding tobacco fuel.
The company now expects consolidated operating income growth in a range of slight decline to slight rise (including Flipkart) and increase at a low to mid single-digit rate (excluding Flipkart). Earlier, management forecasted consolidated operating income to fall low-single digits (including Flipkart) and rise low-single digits (excluding Flipkart).
Finally, bottom-line growth is now envisioned between little decrease to slight rise (including Flipkart) and increase at a mid to high single-digit rate (excluding Flipkart). Earlier, the company projected earnings per share to decline at a low-single-digit rate year over year (including Flipkart), whereas the same was expected to increase in a low to mid single-digit rate (excluding Flipkart).
Retail Stocks You Can’t Miss
Target TGT, with a Zacks Rank #2, has long-term earnings per share growth rate of 7.1%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Burlington Stores BURL, also with a Zacks Rank #2, has long-term earnings per share growth rate of 17%.
Breakout Biotech Stocks with Triple-Digit Profit Potential
The biotech sector is projected to surge beyond $775 billion by 2024 as scientists develop treatments for thousands of diseases. They’re also finding ways to edit the human genome to literally erase our vulnerability to these diseases.
Zacks has just released Century of Biology: 7 Biotech Stocks to Buy Right Now to help investors profit from 7 stocks poised for outperformance. Our recent biotech recommendations have produced gains of +98%, +119% and +164% in as little as 1 month. The stocks in this report could perform even better.
See these 7 breakthrough stocks now>>
<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="Click to get this free report Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Burlington Stores, Inc. (BURL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Target Corporation (TGT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Walmart Inc. (WMT) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research” data-reactid=”29″>Click to get this free report Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Burlington Stores, Inc. (BURL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Target Corporation (TGT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Walmart Inc. (WMT) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research
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