Walmart Sees Continued Comps Gains: Will Broad-Based Strength Support?

Core Insights - Walmart Inc. (WMT) demonstrates retail strength with a 4.5% growth in comparable sales for Q1 fiscal 2026, excluding fuel, driven by transaction improvement and e-commerce growth [1][9] - Sam's Club U.S. reported a 6.7% increase in comparable sales, primarily volume-driven [2] - Walmart's omnichannel strategy, including faster delivery and price rollbacks, supports consistent sales gains [3][4] Sales Performance - Walmart U.S. achieved a 4.5% increase in comparable sales, with transaction growth of 1.6% and an average ticket increase of 2.8% [1][9] - Strong performance in food, consumables, and health and wellness categories, with health and wellness seeing high-teens growth [1][9] Competitive Landscape - Target Corporation (TGT) experienced a 3.8% decline in comparable sales in Q1 fiscal 2025, focusing on digital expansion and same-day services [5][6] - Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) reported a 5.7% growth in comparable sales in Q3 fiscal 2025, with U.S. sales up 6.6% [5][7] Strategic Initiatives - Walmart's strategy includes aggressive price rollbacks, with over 5,000 items seeing price reductions in Q1 [3] - The company benefits from a replenishment-heavy model and strong supply-chain partnerships, aiding flexibility and margin protection [4] Valuation and Earnings Estimates - Walmart shares have increased by 9.7% over the past three months, outperforming the industry growth of 9.3% [8] - The forward price-to-earnings ratio for WMT is 34.8X, above the industry average of 31.97X [10] - Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates a 3.2% year-over-year growth in fiscal 2026 earnings and an 11.6% increase for fiscal 2027 [11]