Citi raises Walmart price target, says retail giant is "well-positioned near-term"

Investing.com -- Walmart (NYSE:WMT )is "well-positioned" for the future despite an uncertain outlook for consumers, according to analysts at Citi.

In a note to clients raising their target price of the discount retail giant to $98 from $75, the analysts said that Walmart has been wining market share thanks to strength in its grocery business, its numerous store locations and solid ecommerce operations.

"Walmart has been taking share in food and grocery over the past several years, helped by its mindshare for value in an inflationary environment, as well as its convenience offerings," the analysts wrote.

They argued that Arkansas-headquartered Walmart is also in the "early innings of developing several high-margin growth businesses, including marketplace, fulfillment services, data services and advertising."

"These businesses help drive a virtuous circle that make it hard for many competitors to keep up longer term," the analysts said.

The comments come after Walmart posted second-quarter earnings in August that topped analysts' expectations thanks in large part to strength in its ecommerce unit and improved margins.

Walmart posted adjusted earnings per share of $0.67, beating the analyst estimate of $0.64. Revenue for the quarter was $169.3 billion, exceeding the consensus estimate of $168.52 billion and representing a 4.8% increase year-over-year.

"Each part of our business is growing – store and club sales are up, eCommerce is compounding as we layer on pickup and even faster growth in delivery as our speed improves," said chief executive Doug McMillon at the time.

"Our newer businesses like marketplace, advertising, and membership, are also contributing, diversifying our profits and reinforcing the resilience of our business model.”

For the third quarter, Walmart expects income per share between $0.51 and $0.52, slightly below consensus forecasts of $0.54. However, the company raised its full-year fiscal 2025 outlook, projecting earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.43, up from its previous guidance of $2.23 to $2.37.

Shares in Walmart, which have surged by more than 50% so far this year, were marginally higher in US premarket trading on Friday.

Source: Investing.com