Topic: How To Invest

Wall Street Stock Forecaster Hotline – Friday, August 19, 2016

Article Excerpt

WAL-MART STORES INC., $72.81, is the world’s largest retailer, with 11,500 stores in 28 countries. The company reported better-than-expected results for the latest quarter. It also raised its full-year earnings forecast. In its fiscal 2017 second quarter, which ended July 31, 2016, Wal-Mart’s sales rose 0.5%, to $120.9 billion from $120.2 billion a year earlier. That beat the consensus forecast of $120.1 billion. If you exclude the impact of currency rate changes on the retailer’s international operations, sales rose 2.8% in the quarter. Same-store sales at its U.S. stores gained 1.6%; that’s thanks to a 1.2% rise in customer traffic. Online sales jumped 11.8%. Earnings in the quarter increased 8.6%, to $3.8 billion from $3.5 billion. Due to fewer shares outstanding, earnings per share improved 12.0%, to $1.21 from $1.08. If you leave out a gain from the recent sale of its online business in China, Wal-Mart earned $1.07 a share in the latest quarter. That beat the consensus estimate of $1.02. The company now…