Walmart Launches Walmart+ Membership in Canada
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
0mins
Source: seekingalpha
- Membership Expansion: Walmart launched Walmart+ in Canada on Thursday, marking its first international market for the membership program, priced at CAD 8.97 per month or CAD 89 annually, aiming to enhance customer loyalty and market competitiveness.
- Enhanced Delivery Services: Walmart+ members receive unlimited free same-day delivery on orders over CAD 35 while retaining existing low-price shopping advantages, and discounted fees for two-hour express delivery significantly improve the shopping experience.
- Unique Entertainment Content: The membership includes a Crave Standard with Ads streaming subscription, making it the only retail membership in Canada to bundle this service, allowing members access to Crave Originals, HBO, and Max Originals, thus increasing membership appeal.
- Positive Market Response: Walmart's stock rose 2.1% in premarket trading on Thursday, with analysts giving a consensus Strong Buy rating on WMT, indicating positive market expectations for the new membership service, which could drive future sales growth.
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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: 113.060
Low
119.00
Averages
125.75
High
136.00
Current: 113.060
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.
Walmart Launches Walmart+ Membership in Canada
- Membership Expansion: Walmart launched Walmart+ in Canada on Thursday, marking its first international market for the membership program, priced at CAD 8.97 per month or CAD 89 annually, aiming to enhance customer loyalty and market competitiveness.
- Enhanced Delivery Services: Walmart+ members receive unlimited free same-day delivery on orders over CAD 35 while retaining existing low-price shopping advantages, and discounted fees for two-hour express delivery significantly improve the shopping experience.
- Unique Entertainment Content: The membership includes a Crave Standard with Ads streaming subscription, making it the only retail membership in Canada to bundle this service, allowing members access to Crave Originals, HBO, and Max Originals, thus increasing membership appeal.
- Positive Market Response: Walmart's stock rose 2.1% in premarket trading on Thursday, with analysts giving a consensus Strong Buy rating on WMT, indicating positive market expectations for the new membership service, which could drive future sales growth.
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- Sales Expectations: Prime Day 2025 set a record with U.S. consumers spending $24.1 billion online, exceeding projections by $300 million, indicating strong market demand and consumer confidence that may influence future retail sales reports.
- Increased Competition: Major retailers like Target and Best Buy have announced promotional events coinciding with Prime Day, with Target Circle Deal Days running concurrently and Best Buy's Tech Fest Sale starting a day earlier, demonstrating how Amazon's influence is prompting swift responses from competitors.
- Market Impact Analysis: Economists forecast that the calendar shift of Prime Day will affect the U.S. retail sales reports for June and July, potentially leading retailers to adjust their sales strategies in response to the intensifying competitive landscape.
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- Defensive Investment Advantage: The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) outperformed the S&P 500 from 2007 to 2009 and throughout 2022, demonstrating its defensive investment advantage during economic downturns, particularly as demand for non-discretionary goods remains stable.
- Market Performance Comparison: Despite VDC's strong performance in bear markets, it has only risen 20% over the past decade, while the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) surged about 80%, indicating that defensive stocks lose appeal during bull markets, prompting investors to seek higher growth assets.
- Expense Ratio Discrepancy: VDC's expense ratio stands at 0.09%, higher than VOO's 0.03%, which makes the latter more attractive to long-term investors, thereby impacting VDC's long-term appeal.
- Investment Strategy Recommendation: For short-term investors, VDC may present an attractive defensive option, but for those seeking long-term growth, allocating too much to VDC is unwise, as it is not designed to outperform the market.
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Opportunities in Dividend Stocks Amid Economic Challenges
- Walmart's Strong Performance: Walmart's Q1 2027 revenue grew by 7.3% year-over-year to $177.8 billion, with adjusted EPS rising 8.2% to $0.66, although its stock fell due to second-quarter guidance falling short of expectations, reflecting market caution about future performance.
- E-commerce Growth: Walmart's e-commerce sales surged 26% year-over-year, not only boosting overall sales but also providing higher-margin opportunities, particularly in advertising and third-party seller services, further enhancing its competitive edge.
- Visa and Mastercard's Market Position: Visa and Mastercard have established a duopoly in the payment network space, and despite facing regulatory pressures and market fluctuations, both maintain strong competitive advantages due to network effects, with Visa being the preferred payment method for merchants.
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- Strong Performance Yet Stock Drop: Walmart's Q1 2027 revenue rose 7.3% year-over-year to $177.8 billion, with adjusted EPS increasing 8.2% to $0.66; however, the stock fell due to second-quarter guidance falling short of analyst expectations, highlighting market sensitivity to high valuations.
- E-commerce Growth Surge: Walmart's e-commerce sales grew 26% year-over-year in the latest quarter, significantly outpacing traditional retail, indicating the company's ability to capitalize on the shift to online shopping, which could enhance profits and market share.
- Stable Dividend Policy: As a 'Dividend King', Walmart has raised its dividend for 50 consecutive years, remaining resilient even in the current economic climate, suggesting that long-term holders could achieve superior returns, especially with reinvested dividends.
- Duopoly in Payment Industry: Visa and Mastercard dominate the payment network space, facing regulatory pressures and market challenges, yet both possess substantial market potential with a combined addressable market exceeding $11 trillion, making them solid long-term holdings.
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Walmart Launches Walmart+ Membership in Canada
- Membership Expansion: Walmart launched Walmart+ in Canada on Thursday, marking its first international market for the membership program, priced at CAD 8.97 per month or CAD 89 annually, aiming to enhance customer loyalty and market competitiveness.
- Enhanced Delivery Services: Walmart+ members receive unlimited free same-day delivery on orders over CAD 35 while retaining existing low-price shopping advantages, and discounted fees for two-hour express delivery significantly improve the shopping experience.
- Unique Entertainment Content: The membership includes a Crave Standard with Ads streaming subscription, making it the only retail membership in Canada to bundle this service, allowing members access to Crave Originals, HBO, and Max Originals, thus increasing membership appeal.
- Positive Market Response: Walmart's stock rose 2.1% in premarket trading on Thursday, with analysts giving a consensus Strong Buy rating on WMT, indicating positive market expectations for the new membership service, which could drive future sales growth.
See More
Amazon Prime Day Moves to June 23-26, Competing Retail Events Emerge
- Event Timing Shift: Amazon has moved Prime Day to June 23-26, breaking from its traditional July schedule, which is expected to attract more consumers and further solidify its leadership in the e-commerce market.
- Sales Expectations: Prime Day 2025 set a record with U.S. consumers spending $24.1 billion online, exceeding projections by $300 million, indicating strong market demand and consumer confidence that may influence future retail sales reports.
- Increased Competition: Major retailers like Target and Best Buy have announced promotional events coinciding with Prime Day, with Target Circle Deal Days running concurrently and Best Buy's Tech Fest Sale starting a day earlier, demonstrating how Amazon's influence is prompting swift responses from competitors.
- Market Impact Analysis: Economists forecast that the calendar shift of Prime Day will affect the U.S. retail sales reports for June and July, potentially leading retailers to adjust their sales strategies in response to the intensifying competitive landscape.
See More
Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF Outperforms S&P 500
- Historical Returns: Since its inception in 1957, the S&P 500 has generated an average annual return of approximately 10%, leading Vanguard's founder John Bogle to recommend that investors simply buy index funds to simplify their investment strategy.
- Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF Performance: The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) outperformed the S&P 500 during the Great Recession and throughout 2022, primarily due to its focus on companies that provide non-discretionary goods, which tend to maintain stable sales during economic downturns.
- Portfolio Composition: VDC passively tracks the MSCI US IMI Consumer Staples 25/50 index, comprising 104 consumer staples stocks, with major holdings in large-cap companies like Walmart (16.2%), Costco (12.3%), and Procter & Gamble (9.1%), which dominate its portfolio.
- Long-Term Investment Comparison: While VDC serves as a strong defensive play during bear markets, its price has only risen 20% over the past decade compared to VOO's 80% increase, and with an expense ratio of 0.09% versus VOO's 0.03%, VDC may not be the best choice for long-term investors.
See More
Analysis of VDC ETF Performance in Bear Markets
- Defensive Investment Advantage: The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) outperformed the S&P 500 from 2007 to 2009 and throughout 2022, demonstrating its defensive investment advantage during economic downturns, particularly as demand for non-discretionary goods remains stable.
- Market Performance Comparison: Despite VDC's strong performance in bear markets, it has only risen 20% over the past decade, while the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) surged about 80%, indicating that defensive stocks lose appeal during bull markets, prompting investors to seek higher growth assets.
- Expense Ratio Discrepancy: VDC's expense ratio stands at 0.09%, higher than VOO's 0.03%, which makes the latter more attractive to long-term investors, thereby impacting VDC's long-term appeal.
- Investment Strategy Recommendation: For short-term investors, VDC may present an attractive defensive option, but for those seeking long-term growth, allocating too much to VDC is unwise, as it is not designed to outperform the market.
See More
Opportunities in Dividend Stocks Amid Economic Challenges
- Walmart's Strong Performance: Walmart's Q1 2027 revenue grew by 7.3% year-over-year to $177.8 billion, with adjusted EPS rising 8.2% to $0.66, although its stock fell due to second-quarter guidance falling short of expectations, reflecting market caution about future performance.
- E-commerce Growth: Walmart's e-commerce sales surged 26% year-over-year, not only boosting overall sales but also providing higher-margin opportunities, particularly in advertising and third-party seller services, further enhancing its competitive edge.
- Visa and Mastercard's Market Position: Visa and Mastercard have established a duopoly in the payment network space, and despite facing regulatory pressures and market fluctuations, both maintain strong competitive advantages due to network effects, with Visa being the preferred payment method for merchants.
- Future Growth Potential: Both companies have significant growth potential in underdeveloped markets with lower credit card penetration, presenting higher risks but also greater upside, and their increasing free cash flow ensures the sustainability of their dividend policies, making them top long-term investment choices.
See More
Walmart's Stock Drop Presents Buying Opportunity
- Strong Performance Yet Stock Drop: Walmart's Q1 2027 revenue rose 7.3% year-over-year to $177.8 billion, with adjusted EPS increasing 8.2% to $0.66; however, the stock fell due to second-quarter guidance falling short of analyst expectations, highlighting market sensitivity to high valuations.
- E-commerce Growth Surge: Walmart's e-commerce sales grew 26% year-over-year in the latest quarter, significantly outpacing traditional retail, indicating the company's ability to capitalize on the shift to online shopping, which could enhance profits and market share.
- Stable Dividend Policy: As a 'Dividend King', Walmart has raised its dividend for 50 consecutive years, remaining resilient even in the current economic climate, suggesting that long-term holders could achieve superior returns, especially with reinvested dividends.
- Duopoly in Payment Industry: Visa and Mastercard dominate the payment network space, facing regulatory pressures and market challenges, yet both possess substantial market potential with a combined addressable market exceeding $11 trillion, making them solid long-term holdings.
See More
