Walmart gives gift of positive comps

Walmart’s same store sales turned positive during the third quarter, ending a two year drought, prompting the company to forecast a U.S. comp increase of as much as 1% during the fourth quarter.



Third quarter same store sales at U.S. stores increased 0.5% and were aided by inflation and the impact of a 5.5% comp increase at the company’s Neighborhood Market locations. Fourth quarter comps at U.S. stores are forecast to be flat or up 1%. One percent may not sound like much, but if realized or possibly exceeded the additional sales volume would be substantial considering the U.S. stores division generated third quarter sales of $70 million, a 3.4% increase from the prior year.



Total company sales increased 2.8% to $118.1 billion, including a negative impact of nearly $400 million related to currency exchange fluctuations. Profits declined 0.7% to $3.7 billion, but earnings per share increase by a penny from the prior year to $1.15, squarely in the middle of the company’s guidance range of $1.10 to $1.15 and three cents better than analysts forecast. Walmart’s earning per share calculations benefited from the repurchase of 1.1 million shares during the quarter.



Despite the slight advance in earnings, Walmart Stores, Inc., president and CEO Doug McMillon called the profit performance “solid.” He singled out as positives the U.S. stores comp increase, a 21% increase in e-commerce sales and profitability of the Sam’s Club and Walmart International businesses.



"We're investing in key areas of our business, including wages in our U.S. stores and in e-commerce and mobile capabilities. We continue to see opportunities to improve our business," McMillon said. "Being the price leader is an ongoing priority for us and a commitment to customers. As with every year, that is even more important during the holiday season. We have some things in our favor this fourth quarter, including lower fuel prices in the U.S. and other key markets, and we're set to deliver for customers during this time."



Same store sales at Sam’s Club, excluding fuel, increased 0.4% and total sales, excluding fuel, increased 2.3% to $12.7 million. Despite the modest top line growth, operating profits increased 12% to $493 million, the strongest improvement of Walmart’s three divisions.



Walmart International sales increased 1.7% to $33.7 billion, but on a constant currency basis increased 2.9% to $34.1 billion. Operating profits increased 3.7% to $1.43 billion.



Operating profits at U.S. stores declined 1.2% to $4.9 billion.



Looking forward, Walmart forecast fourth quarter earnings between $1.46 and $1.56 and full year earnings per share to range from $4.92 and $5.02, lower than the company’s earlier guidance of $4.90 to $5.15.



"Our earnings per share guidance assumes several important factors, including the economic conditions in several of our largest markets, and a highly promotional holiday season," said Walmart CFO Charles Holley. "As a reminder, our full year EPS guidance includes the four factors we discussed last quarter, which were higher U.S. health-care costs, incremental investments in e-commerce, ongoing investments in Sam's Club, and our effective tax rate.”