Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart Inc. (WMT) engages in the operation of retail and wholesale stores and clubs, ecommerce websites, and mobile applications worldwide. The company has a market cap of\u00a0$1 trillion and operates through Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam’s Club U.S segments. Walmart operates supercenters, supermarkets, warehouse clubs, cash and carry stores, and discount stores under Walmart and Walmart Neighborhood Market brands, and others.<\/p>\n
WMT is expected to release its\u00a0Q1 2027 earnings on\u00a0Thursday, May 21, before the market opens. Ahead of the event, analysts expect the company\u2019s\u00a0EPS to be $0.65 on a diluted basis, up 6.6% from $0.61 in the year-ago quarter. The company has exceeded Wall Street\u2019s EPS estimates in three of its last four quarters, while missing on one occasion.<\/p>\n
For fiscal 2027, analysts project the company\u2019s EPS to be $2.89, up 9.5%\u00a0from $2.64 in fiscal 2026. Moreover, its EPS is expected to rise by roughly 12.5% year over year (YoY) to $3.25 in fiscal 2028.<\/p>\n WMT stock has surged\u00a039% over the past 52 weeks, outperforming the S&P 500 Index\u2019s ($SPX)\u00a032.2% rise and the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF\u2019s (XLP)\u00a02.1% rise during the same time frame.<\/p>\n On Feb. 19, WMT\u2019s Board of Directors announced an\u00a0annual cash dividend for fiscal year 2027 of $0.99 per share, representing a 5% increase from the previous year\u2019s dividend payment. The company has an impressive history of paying dividends for 53 consecutive years. WMT\u2019s dividend yield is 0.76%, with an annual payout of $0.99. Additionally, the company has also been growing its dividend payout for 52 years straight, an impressive feat. In volatile times like these, investors tend to stick to defensive stocks like Walmart, as they tend to perform better and act as a buffer during uncertain market conditions. WMT stock has\u00a0risen over the past six trading sessions.<\/p>\n Analysts are highly optimistic about WMT, with the stock having a \u201cStrong Buy\u201d rating overall. Among the 38 analysts covering the stock, 30 are recommending a \u201cStrong Buy,\u201d five recommend a \u201cModerate Buy,\u201d two recommend a \u201cHold,\u201d and one suggests a \u201cStrong Sell.\u201d WMT\u2019s average analyst price target is $138.50, indicating an upside of 4.9% from the current levels.<\/p>\n On the date of publication, Aritra Gangopadhyay did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally\u00a0published on Barchart.com <\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
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