Walmart Inc. (WMT – Get Rating), a leading retail company, is set to report third-quarter fiscal 2024 earnings on Thursday, November 16, 2023, before the market opens. Analysts expect the company’s revenue and EPS for the third quarter (ended October 2023) to increase 4.6% and 1.4% year-over-year to $158.50 billion and $1.52, respectively.

Moreover, the retail giant’s second-quarter revenue and earnings surpassed analysts’ expectations. WMT posted a revenue of $160.28 billion, beating analysts’ estimate of $158.93 billion. Customers visited Walmart’s stores and website more often, resulting in an increased buying of items. Transactions grew by 2.9%, and the average ticket increased by 3.4% for Walmart U.S.

Net sales for Walmart U.S. rose 6.4% year-over-year, led by strength in grocery and health & wellness segments. Also, net sales for Walmart International increased by 13.1% year-over-year and robust growth in net sales is driven by Walmex, China, and Flipkart. At Sam’s Club, same-store sales grew 5.5%, excluding fuel.

Further, Walmart’s online sales in the U.S. rose as customers purchased more items from the company’s growing third-party marketplace and placed increased orders for store pickup and delivery. The company’s adjusted quarterly earnings totaled $1.84 per share, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.71 per share.

“We had another strong quarter. Around the world, our customers and members are prioritizing value and convenience. They’re shopping with us across channels — in stores, Sam’s Clubs, and they’re driving eCommerce, which was up 24% globally,” said Doug McMillon, President and CEO of Walmart.

“Food is a strength, but we’re also encouraged by our results in general merchandise versus our expectations when we started the quarter. Our associates helped deliver increases in transaction counts and units sold, and profit is growing faster than sales. We’re in good shape with inventory, and we like our position for the back half of the year,” McMillon added.

After beating Wall Street expectations for sales and earnings, the big-box retailer raised its outlook for the full fiscal year 2024. WMT expects full-year 2024 consolidated net sales to increase by 4%-4.5%, above the previous guidance of 3.5% gains. Also, the company’s EPS is expected to range between $6.36 and $6.46, compared to its prior guidance of between $6.10 and $6.20.

For the third quarter, Walmart expects its consolidated net sales and consolidated operating income to…

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