Analyst nervous about WMT’s Q4 comp

A lack of visibility into Walmart’s sales performance coupled with concerns about the pace of a U.S. sales recovery is contributing to some apprehension on Wall Street regarding the company’s fourth-quarter performance.

Results aren’t due until Feb. 22, but this week saw UBS analyst Neil Currie downgrade shares of Walmart to “neutral” from “buy,” as he envisions the company’s domestic unit could report a negative comparable sales number in the fourth quarter, and strategic moves to restore sales growth may take longer than expected.

The consensus same-store sales estimated for Walmart’s U.S. division is currently 0.8%.