Walmart (WMT) stock remained little changed on Thursday after marginally beating Wall Street earnings estimates. The company reported adjusted earnings per share of $0.74 in the period, the fourth quarter of its fiscal year 2026. That was a touch higher than the Street forecast of $0.73, per Bloomberg consensus data. Additionally, Walmart offered a cautious outlook for the next quarter and the rest of 2026.
For fiscal year 2026, Walmart posted results slightly above estimates. Revenue came in at $715.9 billion and, not including currency exchange rates, was in line with estimates at $713.2 billion compared to Wall Street’s forecast of $713 billion. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $2.64, which was $0.01 higher than expected.
While Walmart WMT shares are down 2% this week, the company’s outlook for the first quarter has turned heads. The company expects revenue to grow 3.5%-4.5% and adjusted per-share earnings to tally $0.63-$0.65. That outlook undershoots the 5% growth and adjusted earnings of $0.69 that Wall Street expected. Furthermore, For fiscal year 2027, the retail giant expects revenue to increase by 3.5%-4.5%, alongside adjusted earnings of $2.75-$2.85. That’s also conservative compared with the nearly 5% growth Wall Street predicted, alongside adjusted earnings of $2.97 per share. CFO John David Rainey told investors on the call, “Our goal is to outperform this guidance, but we believe it’s prudent to start the year with a level of conservatism given the backdrop is still somewhat unstable.”
Analysts are divided on Walmart’s future price, with targets ranging from $108 to $130. Most analysts maintain a positive stance, reflecting a belief in potential growth. Telsey Advisory Group and Tigress Financial anticipate high targets of $130. At press time, WMT shares trade just above $120.