NEW YORK, Feb 19, 2026, 07:39 EST
- Walmart is now projecting adjusted earnings per share for fiscal 2027 in the $2.75 to $2.85 range—coming up short of what analysts had penciled in.
- Revenue for the fourth quarter climbed 5.6% to $190.7 billion, with U.S. comparable sales up 4.6%.
- Walmart rolled out a fresh $30 billion buyback plan for its shares.
Walmart (WMT) laid out a fiscal 2027 forecast for both sales and profit that missed Wall Street’s expectations Thursday, overshadowing its strong holiday-quarter numbers and sending shares down roughly 2% at the open. This guidance comes as John Furner steps in for his first quarter as chief executive, following Doug McMillon’s recent departure earlier this month. Reuters
One of the first major U.S. chains out with hard holiday figures, the world’s largest retailer is giving investors a window into how shoppers might behave next. The focus: whether higher prices and fresh tariff chatter are actually hurting demand—or simply shifting where consumers spend.
Walmart’s been picking up market share, not just from budget-conscious families trading down, but also by attracting wealthier shoppers hunting for faster delivery and a broader online selection. That combination puts Walmart in the spotlight—if they’re acting conservatively, expect even greater caution from smaller retailers.
Walmart reported a 5.6% revenue increase for the quarter ended Jan. 31, hitting $190.656 billion. Adjusted earnings per share landed at $0.74. Operating income climbed 10.8%, reaching $8.708 billion. Sec
Walmart U.S. notched a 4.6% gain in comparable sales, stripping out fuel, driven by a 2.6% uptick in transactions. eCommerce business in the U.S. shot up 27%, and the retailer pointed to store-fulfilled expedited delivery channels surging over 50%.
Net income attributable to Walmart slipped 19.4% to $4.237 billion. The company noted that its adjusted EPS strips out items such as fluctuations in equity and other investments, aiming to provide a clearer comparison of core operations across periods.
Walmart is projecting adjusted earnings per share of $0.63 to $0.65 for the first quarter. The company’s outlook for the full year calls for net sales to rise between 3.5% and 4.5%, with adjusted operating income growth landing somewhere in the 6% to 8% range—both measured on a “constant currency” basis, which removes the impact from exchange-rate fluctuations.
“The pace of change in retail is accelerating,” Furner said. Walmart reported a 24% jump in global eCommerce sales for the quarter. The company’s worldwide advertising business also climbed 37%, and membership fee revenue picked up 15.1%.
John David Rainey, the chief financial officer, flagged a “pretty fluid, dynamic macro backdrop” as a reason for caution on the outlook, Bloomberg reported. Bloomberg
Walmart rolled out a fresh $30 billion share buyback plan, taking the place of what was left from its previous authorization, and bumped up its annual dividend to $0.99 a share. For fiscal 2026, the company generated $41.565 billion in operating cash flow, with free cash flow coming in at $14.923 billion after capital expenditures totaling $26.642 billion.
The company flagged “substantial uncertainty” in its outlook, pointing to possible impacts from currency fluctuations, geopolitics, tariffs, shifting trade policies, customer demand, inflation, and interest rates, among other risks. It noted the forecast leaves out items like changes in the fair value of equity and other investments, which aren’t estimated. Sec
The forecast drops just before Target reports on March 3, with Costco following on March 5. All eyes are on whether these competitors can match Walmart’s edge in groceries, membership revenue and speedy delivery, as consumers remain laser-focused on value. Target Costco
