Walmart Reports Quarterly Results With Wall Street Expecting Revenue Near $187 Billion

Walmart reported fiscal second-quarter results before United States markets opened Thursday, and the figures beat analyst estimates. CNBC reported revenue of $187.9 billion, up 5.9% from a year earlier, above the roughly $186.8 billion analysts had forecast. Adjusted earnings reached 81 cents a share, above the roughly 74-cent estimate and up from 68 cents a year earlier.

The composition of the profit beat drew attention. StockTitan reported that operating income surged 28.8%, boosted substantially by tariff refunds that lifted the gross profit rate, while e-commerce sales grew 23% and advertising revenue grew 38%, extending the prior quarter's 26% e-commerce growth and 37% advertising growth. Walmart raised its full-year sales growth outlook to a range of 4% to 5%, from a prior 3.5% to 4.5%.

Despite the beat, Walmart shares fell about 5% in premarket trading, as investors focused on how much of the profit gain reflected the one-time tariff refund rather than underlying sales growth.

Similar divergence appears in other consumer markets. In Israel, Globes reported that Chinese brands have reshaped vehicle sales. The importer Carasso lifted its market share to about 15% on the strength of the Chery brand, while Delek Motors, which imports Mazda and once led the market, fell to about 3%.

At the other end, Hyundai unveiled the Genesis GV90, a large luxury electric vehicle that becomes the brand's flagship and expands its United States lineup to seven models.