Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT)
-
Buy, Sell or Hold: Why Wal-Mart Shares Are No Bargain
Like E.F. Hutton of old, when Wal-Mart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) talks about the state of the markets people listen.
With more than 200 million customers and 10,773 stores in 29 countries, the worldwide retail giant has become the ultimate consumer bellwether-especially in the United States where it accounts for approximately 10% of all non-automotive retail spending.
Unfortunately, here's what Wal-Mart has to say about its customers : They are broke.
According to leaked e-mails from some of the top brass at Wal-Mart, February sales were a "total disaster."
So how is it possible that the world's largest retailer with "everyday low prices" is having trouble getting its customers to buy things?...
Let's break down Wal-Mart's recent sales and the hot issues that now surround its share price.
-
The Dirty Little Secret Behind Wal-Mart's Bluebird Cards
Here's something else that's got the potential to undermine our financial future...
It's about those prepaid cards, and the games that are being played with them that you may not know about.
Prepaid cards have lots of benefits, especially for the "unbanked."
These are the people who more or less may live paycheck to paycheck, or don't have jobs but need a "card" because both credit and debit cards are how we pay for most things these days.
A lot of people are rebelling, and rightfully so, against the higher and higher fees that banks are charging on checking accounts (and for all their other "services") and are turning to prepaid cards as an alternative means of paying for goods and services.
Now, American Express (NYSE: AXP) is partnering with Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) to offer Bluebird cards. The cards are being pushed through Wal-Mart stores and are ostensibly backed by American Express.
American Express? As if it's a bank. Wait a minute...
It is a bank.
That's because back on November 10, 2008, at the height of the credit crisis, American Express had to become a bank (actually a bank holding company) so it could take money from the Federal Reserve to stay alive.
You forgot that, didn't you?
To continue reading, please click here...
-
Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) Stock Jumps on Strong Earnings
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) stock was up by more than 5% in trading today (Thursday) after the company reported stronger than expected earnings this morning following similar reports made yesterday by Target Corp.
Wal-Mart reported earnings per share of $1.09 compared to $0.97 per share in the same quarter last year. The average estimate for this quarter's earnings was $1.04 per share.
Increased sales were a major factor in the positive earnings report. Net sales rose 8.5% to almost $113 billion. Same store sales in the U.S. rose 2.6%, the biggest gain in three years for Wal-Mart in its U.S. market.
Wal-Mart "s earnings reports come as they wrestle with allegations of bribery in its fast-growing Mexico unit.
In a pre-recorded statement on Thursday, Wal-Mart's CEO Mike Duke commented on the ongoing Mexico bribery investigation saying, "We will take appropriate action if violations of the law or our policies occurred."
Same store sales in Mexico grew 5.6% this quarter, second only to Brazil's same store growth of 8.6%. Wal-Mart reported that customer traffic in Mexico increased by 2.3% while the average customer spent 3.3% more per visit.
The allegations appeared in a New York Times article on April 21, so it is hard to gauge how much impact the controversy will have as the numbers reported today go through April 30.
Wal-Mart's U.S. Growth Problems
Wal-Mart's earnings are a good measure of the retail economy in the U.S. The giant discounter draws almost 10% of all non-automotive spending in the U.S.
While Wal-Mart remains the leading discount retailer in the U.S. it has lost some of its advantage over other retailers. Throughout the recession Wal-Mart performed better than most companies due to its discount offerings but consumers are now either feeling more comfortable about increasing their spending or are turning to other discount retailers such as Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT).
Meanwhile, Wal-Mart is trying a new game with its U.S. stores.
Wal-Mart Express Stores
The Wall Street Journal reported today that Wal-Mart is in the pilot phase of introducing "Wal-Mart Express" stores. These stores are much smaller than the popular supercenter, normally around only 15,000 square feet.
Wal-Mart hopes these smaller stores located in urban areas will help accelerate its growth in the U.S. and help Wal-Mart compete with other discount and dollar-store chains.
Their competitors have already launched smaller locations in a much more aggressive manner than Wal-Mart. Dollar General, Dollar Tree, and Family Dollar Stores Inc. have opened nearly 2,000 locations in the past year.
Currently Wal-Mart has fewer than a dozen Express stores open.
Wal-Mart has had success with smaller stores outside the U.S. and hopes it can have similar results in the U.S. Last June at its annual meeting Wal-Mart's U.S. store chief Bill Simon said he would like Express Stores "to deliver the same experience that a supercenter can deliver, only in 15,000 square feet."
With fewer than a dozen Express stores open it seems that Wal-Mart is reluctant in its efforts to move away from the supercenter mentality.
Target plans to open three new "City Target" stores this summer in Chicago, Seattle and Los Angeles. Target's stock was up slightly yesterday on positive earnings.
While several other big-box retailers including Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY), Staples Inc. (Nasdaq: SPLS) and Barnes & Noble Inc. have closed stores, Wal-Mart has added or remodeled more than 120 supercenters last fiscal year.
The other good news is that...
