Multiply Your Income [Wealth Devo]
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Apr 28 2024
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Analyst Views on WMT
Wall Street analysts forecast WMT stock price to rise
26 Analyst Rating
25 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 120.720
Low
119.00
Averages
125.75
High
136.00
Current: 120.720
Low
119.00
Averages
125.75
High
136.00
About WMT
Walmart Inc. is a technology-powered omnichannel retailer. The Company is engaged in the operation of retail and wholesale stores and clubs, as well as eCommerce Websites and mobile applications, located throughout the United States (U.S.), Africa, Canada, Central America, Chile, China, India and Mexico. It operates in three reportable segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam's Club U.S. The Walmart U.S. segment includes the Company's mass merchandising concept in the U.S., as well as eCommerce, which includes omni-channel initiatives and certain other business offerings such as advertising services. The Walmart International segment consists of the Company's operations outside of the U.S. through its subsidiaries, as well as eCommerce and omni-channel initiatives. The Sam's Club U.S. segment includes the warehouse membership clubs in the U.S., as well as samsclub.com and omni-channel initiatives.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Fed's Dilemma: Powell emphasized that the Fed faces a dilemma in addressing tariff-driven inflation since raising interest rates does not effectively mitigate inflation caused by tariffs, and slowing economic growth could further weaken the economy if rates are increased.
- Stock Market Risks: In a potential stagflation environment, growth stocks with high valuations and minimal profits are at significant risk, particularly consumer discretionary stocks, as consumers tend to cut back on discretionary spending first during economic slowdowns.
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- Fed's Dilemma: Powell emphasized that the Fed faces a dilemma in addressing tariff-driven inflation since raising interest rates does not effectively mitigate inflation caused by tariffs, and slowing economic growth could further weaken the economy if rates are increased.
- Stock Market Risks: In a potential stagflation environment, growth stocks with high valuations and minimal profits are at significant risk, particularly consumer discretionary stocks, as consumers tend to cut back on discretionary spending first during economic slowdowns.
- Defensive Investment Choices: Despite the risks, energy stocks like Chevron and utility stocks may perform relatively well in a high-inflation, low-growth environment due to their stable cash flows and attractive dividends, making them safe havens for investors.
See More
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- Inflationary Pressures: Fed Chair Jerome Powell indicated that recent inflation rises are primarily driven by soaring oil prices and tariffs, suggesting that inflationary pressures may persist, impacting consumer confidence and spending.
- Slowing Economic Growth: U.S. GDP growth slowed to 1.4% in February, significantly below expectations, indicating economic weakness that could lead to rising unemployment, complicating the Fed's decision-making regarding interest rate hikes.
- Safe Stock Selections: In the current environment, energy stocks, utility stocks, and consumer staples are viewed as relatively safe investments, particularly companies like Chevron and Walmart, which benefit from stable cash flows and attractive dividends, helping to maintain investor confidence during high inflation.
- Investment Strategy Adjustments: Investors should focus on stocks with durable demand and strong pricing power while avoiding high-valuation, low-profit growth stocks to navigate potential stagflation, ensuring the stability of their portfolios.
See More
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- Market Uncertainty: CNBC's Jim Cramer cautioned investors that trading on headlines related to the U.S.-Iran conflict may be a waste of time and money due to mixed signals and unpredictable market conditions, advising a hands-off approach to mitigate risks.
- Oil Stock Surge: Reports of the Pentagon nearing plans to deploy thousands of troops to the Middle East led to Exxon Mobil and Chevron shares rising nearly 3% and 1%, respectively, indicating market concerns over potential supply disruptions in energy.
- Financial and Retail Stocks Rally: Despite market volatility, JPMorgan and Walmart saw their shares increase by nearly 1%, reflecting investor optimism about a potential resolution to the conflict; however, Cramer noted the oddity of such simultaneous rallies, suggesting possible market misjudgments.
- Overall Market Weakness: The S&P 500 fell 0.3% on Tuesday, contrasting with a 1.3% rise on Monday, which Cramer attributed to fear-driven trading, emphasizing the need to monitor whether the Iranian regime will support Trump's claims to avoid further market instability.
See More
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- Shopping Experience Upgrade: OpenAI has launched a new shopping experience within ChatGPT, aimed at simplifying product search and comparison by allowing users to upload images or describe items, thereby enhancing user convenience and satisfaction.
- Instant Checkout Withdrawal: Following the failure of the previous Instant Checkout feature, OpenAI has decided to allow merchants to use their own checkout experiences, a shift that will enable greater flexibility in managing transaction processes while focusing on product discovery.
- Merchant Integration Support: OpenAI now allows merchants to share product feeds and promotions, ensuring their products are fully represented within ChatGPT, with retailers like Target, Sephora, and Nordstrom already supporting this new experience, thus enhancing the platform's product coverage.
- App Integration: OpenAI introduced custom app functionality at its annual developer conference, enabling merchants to better control customer experiences and transaction processes through these apps, further enhancing the personalization and convenience of the shopping experience.
See More
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- Market Sentiment Fluctuates: After a strong rally on Monday, Wall Street experienced a pullback on Tuesday morning, although the market rebounded by lunchtime, overall trading volumes remained below average, indicating a cautious investor sentiment.
- Iran Situation Impact: President Trump's statement about “very good and productive” discussions with Iran initially boosted the market, but Iranian media's denial of direct negotiations quickly shifted sentiment, causing oil prices to fluctuate.
- Sector Performance Divergence: Energy stocks rose about 2% due to the rebound in oil prices, while communication services and technology sectors fell by 1%-2%, reflecting investor concerns about the economic outlook and a preference for defensive investments.
- Individual Stock Movements Muted: The performance of the six major Dow components was evenly split with three up and three down, and no standout performers, indicating a lack of strong single-company news driving the overall market.
See More
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- Instant Checkout Function Adjustment: After the initial Instant Checkout feature failed to gain traction, OpenAI decided to allow merchants to use their own checkout experiences, thereby increasing flexibility and focusing on product discovery, which is expected to improve user experience.
- Merchant Integration Support: OpenAI enables merchants to share product feeds and promotions, ensuring their products are fully represented within ChatGPT, with retailers like Target and Sephora already supporting this new experience.
- Enhanced App Functionality: OpenAI introduced custom app functionality at its developer conference, allowing merchants to better control customer experience and transaction processes through these apps, further advancing collaborations with companies like Walmart.
See More
