Wal-Mart enters a new phase

Article Excerpt

We made Wal-Mart our top Conservative pick for 2016 when it was trading at $66 in January. The stock moved up to $74 in August, but fell as investors reacted to the company’s new strategic plan. That includes opening fewer new stores, and making new investments in its online operations. The plan will slow Wal-Mart’s earnings for the next two years. However, it should position the company for many more years of growth. WAL-MART STORES INC. $70 (New York symbol WMT; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 3.1 billion; Market cap: $217.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.4; Dividend yield: 2.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.walmart.com) opened its first store in 1962. It has since grown to become the world’s biggest retailer, with 11,573 outlets in 28 countries. These stores serve a total of 260 million customers each week. The company’s 5,300 stores in the U.S. include 3,504 supercentres. Through the sale of general merchandise and, increasingly, groceries, U.S. stores supply 64% of Wal-Mart’s…