Walmart earnings beat estimates, but company offers cautious outlook amid 'somewhat unstable' backdrop

Core Insights - Walmart's quarterly earnings slightly exceeded Wall Street estimates, marking the first report under new CEO John Furner [1] - The retailer's market capitalization recently surpassed $1 trillion for the first time [1] Financial Performance - Adjusted earnings per share for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026 were reported at $0.74, slightly above the forecast of $0.73 [1] - Revenue for the quarter increased by 5.6% to $190.7 billion, aligning closely with Wall Street's expectations of $190.6 billion [2] - For fiscal year 2026, Walmart's total revenue reached $715.9 billion, slightly above estimates, with adjusted earnings per share at $2.64, a cent higher than expected [3] Stock Performance - Walmart's shares rose by 1% in premarket trading and have increased over 13% year to date [4] Future Guidance - For the first quarter, Walmart anticipates revenue growth of 3.5-4.5% and adjusted earnings per share of $0.63-$0.65, which is below Wall Street's expectations of 5% growth and earnings of $0.69 [4] - For fiscal year 2027, the company expects revenue growth of 3.5%-4.5% and adjusted earnings of $2.75-$2.85, also conservative compared to Wall Street's forecast of nearly 5% growth and earnings of $2.97 [5] - CFO John David Rainey indicated a cautious approach due to an unstable economic backdrop, despite no significant changes in consumer behavior [5] Operational Highlights - Quarterly same-store sales in the US grew by 4.6%, surpassing estimates of 4.3%, driven by e-commerce strength and a 2.6% increase in transactions [6]