Walmart

Projections calling for a low-to-mid single-digit comp increase at Target during May don’t sound overly aggressive, but when factoring in some of the economic headwinds and uncertainties facing the U.S. economy, the sales plan begins to sound more ambitious.

Consumers are dealing with higher fuel prices, food inflation and lingering unemployment. Where $4 a gallon gas prices are headed next is big unknown, but it is only May and historically prices increase during the summer. Ouch!

NEW YORK — Wal-Mart Stores said that by the end of the year it will have invested the equivalent of approximately $756 million to expand its operations in Brazil.

Marcos Samaha, president of Wal-Mart's Brazilian subsidiary, said in a Tuesday statement that 1.2 billion reals ($755 million) will be used to build 80 stores, renovate existing locations and improve logistics.

Shoppers looking to buy an e-reader for mom this week had an interesting choice to make. They could pay $149 for a Nook at Walmart or go to Target or Best Buy and pick up a Kindle for $114. Target and Best Buy offered the Wi-Fi-enabled Kindle version capable of holding up to 3,500 books, and Target even featured the device on the cover of its weekly ad with a large photo. Walmart opted for a similar strategy and featured the Wi-Fi-enabled Nook capable of holding 1,500 books for $149 on the cover of its circular.

Walmart.com EVP Steve Nave and online grocer Peapod’s COO Mike Brennan are slated to share the stage at Nielsen’s upcoming Consumer 360 conference in Orlando June 20 to 22 during a session moderated by Adam Lashinsky, Fortune’s editor-at-large.

The most recent pricing survey from the equity research team at Credit Suisse shows that Walmart is either 3.1% cheaper than Target or 1.9% more expensive. The firm compared prices at stores in the Dallas and Chicago markets, as it does every month, and during March discovered the gap between the two competitors narrowed considerably.

“Target’s price gap with Walmart tightened from 4.2% in February to 3.1%,” according to the firm. “Target’s basket price decreased sequentially by 0.8% compared with Walmart’s 0.3% increase.”

The 13.1% increase in same-store sales Target reported for April was toward the low end of the company’s projection of an increase in the mid-teens, but it doesn’t appear Walmart’s mid-month launch of a new marketing campaign contributed to the weakness.

MINNEAPOLIS — The 13.1% increase in same-store sales Target reported for April was toward the low end of the company’s projection of an increase in the mid-teens and begs the question whether Walmart’s mid-month launch of a new marketing campaign contributed to the weakness.

Walmart again topped the Fortune 500 list of America’s largest companies, and it doesn’t appear likely to relinquish the top ranking anytime soon. With annual revenues of $421.8 billion, Walmart easily outpaced such oil companies as ExxonMobil at $354.6 billion, Chevron at $196.3 billion and ConocoPhillips at $184.9 billion. Higher oil prices last year boosted the top line at those companies, but even the closest contender of the lot would need oil prices to increase dramatically from current levels for any shot at overtaking Walmart.