Walmart(US:WMT)2025-12-03 21:45Sales Performance - Comparable sales in the U.S. increased by 4.5% and 4.0% for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2025, respectively, compared to the same periods in the previous fiscal year[75] - Walmart U.S. segment had comparable sales growth of 4.8% and 4.2% for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2025, driven by growth in average ticket and transactions[75] - Net sales for the three months ended October 31, 2025, were $177.769 billion, representing a 5.8% increase from $168.003 billion in the same period of 2024[78] - Net sales for the Walmart U.S. segment increased by $5.8 billion or 5.1% for the three months ended October 31, 2025, compared to the same period in 2024[98] - Walmart International segment net sales increased by $3.3 billion or 10.8% for the three months ended October 31, 2025, and $4.8 billion or 5.4% for the nine months ended October 31, 2025, compared to the same periods in the previous fiscal year[103] - Sam's Club U.S. segment net sales increased by $0.7 billion or 3.1% for the three months ended October 31, 2025, driven by comparable sales growth of 2.8%[108] Profitability - Operating income for the three months ended October 31, 2025, was $6.696 billion, a slight decrease of 0.2% compared to $6.708 billion in the same period of 2024[78] - Gross profit as a percentage of net sales increased by 2 basis points for the three months ended October 31, 2025, compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year[78] - Consolidated net income for the three months ended October 31, 2025, was $6.1 billion, an increase of 29.1% from $4.7 billion in the same period of 2024[97] - Gross profit for the nine months ended October 31, 2025, was $125.7 billion, an increase of 4.9% from $120.1 billion in 2024[92] - Operating income for the nine months ended October 31, 2025, was $21.1 billion, a decrease of 1.7% from $21.5 billion in 2024[92] Expenses and Costs - Operating expenses as a percentage of net sales increased by 28 basis points for the three months ended October 31, 2025, primarily due to a $0.7 billion charge related to share-based compensation modifications[79] - The effective income tax rate for the three months ended October 31, 2025, was 25.6%, up from 22.7% in the same period of the previous year[96] - Operating expenses as a percentage of net sales increased by 28 basis points for the three months ended October 31, 2025, primarily due to a charge related to share-based compensation[94] - Operating income for the Walmart International segment decreased by $0.5 billion for the three months ended October 31, 2025, resulting in an operating income margin of 2.1%[106] - Operating expenses as a percentage of net sales for Sam's Club U.S. increased by 29 basis points for the three months ended October 31, 2025, mainly due to associate wage investments[111] Cash Flow and Capital Expenditures - Free cash flow for the nine months ended October 31, 2025, was $8.8 billion, representing an increase of 41.8% compared to $6.2 billion in the same period of the previous year[91] - Net cash provided by operating activities increased by $4.5 billion to $27.5 billion for the nine months ended October 31, 2025, compared to $22.9 billion in 2024[91] - Total capital expenditures for the nine months ended October 31, 2025, were $18.6 billion, an increase of 11.1% from $16.7 billion in 2024[86] - Net cash provided by operating activities increased by $4.5 billion to $27.452 billion for the nine months ended October 31, 2025, compared to the previous fiscal year[114] - Net cash used in investing activities increased by $6.4 billion to $(19.030) billion for the nine months ended October 31, 2025, primarily due to changes in strategic investments[117] Shareholder Returns - The company approved a fiscal 2026 annual dividend of $0.94 per share, a 13% increase over the previous year's dividend[121] - The company repurchased 75.3 million shares during the nine months ended October 31, 2025, compared to 45.9 million shares in the same period of 2024, representing a significant increase[123] - The average price paid per share for repurchases in 2025 was $93.04, up from $66.37 in 2024, indicating a higher investment per share[123] - Total amount paid for share repurchases reached $7.0 billion in 2025, an increase of $4.0 billion compared to $3.0 billion in 2024[123] - The company expects to fund the majority of its ongoing share repurchase program through free cash flow[123] Financial Outlook and Risks - The company expects continued uncertainty in business and the global economy due to various macroeconomic factors, including inflation and supply chain pressures[70] - The One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduced corporate tax changes, including 100% bonus depreciation on qualified property, which is expected to decrease cash taxes paid in the current fiscal year[70] - The company maintains strong credit ratings, with Standard & Poor's rating at A-1+ for commercial paper and AA for long-term debt as of October 31, 2025[126] - The company anticipates that cash flows from operations will be sufficient to meet its cash requirements, including capital expenditures and share repurchases[125] - There were no material changes to the company's market risks as of October 31, 2025, compared to the previous fiscal year[128] - The company is subject to potential credit rating downgrades, which could affect future borrowing costs and access to capital markets[126] - Material cash requirements include inventory purchases, employee-related costs, and interest payments, expected to be satisfied by cash from operations[124] Returns on Investment - Return on Assets (ROA) improved to 8.4% for the trailing 12 months ended October 31, 2025, up from 7.8% in 2024[85] - Return on Investment (ROI) decreased to 14.8% for the trailing 12 months ended October 31, 2025, down from 15.1% in 2024[85] Membership and Other Income - Membership and other income increased by 9.0% for the three months ended October 31, 2025, reaching $1.7 billion, up from $1.6 billion in 2024[92] - Membership and other income for Sam's Club U.S. increased by 13.1% for the three months ended October 31, 2025, primarily due to growth in the membership base[109] Gross Profit Analysis - Gross profit for the Walmart International segment was $7.002 billion for the three months ended October 31, 2025, with a gross profit rate of 20.9%, a decrease of 68 basis points compared to the previous year[104] - Gross profit rate for Sam's Club U.S. increased by 10 basis points for the three months ended October 31, 2025, attributed to product mix changes and operational efficiencies[110]