Is Walmart’s Yearly ‘Humble Brag’ Obscuring the Retailer’s Strength?

New Walmart CEO John Furner took on the company’s hallowed role of greeter Thursday (or “customer host” as they’re now called) on his first earnings call as top boss. So fresh in the job that he updated his LinkedIn page a couple of weeks ago (CEOs, they’re just like us!), Furner had good news: US same-store sales rose a better-than-expected 4.6% in the latest quarter, the last of Walmart’s fiscal 2026. But the retailer’s stock fell 1.4% as the new boss carried on a company tradition: a cautious, conserva ...