Walmart reports weakest U.S. comparable sales growth in six years, shares dive 6%

Retail giant Walmart has posted its slowest U.S. comparable sales growth in six years for the quarter ended July 31, 2026, sending shares down 6% in premarket trading. Comparable sales, which include online sales tied to physical stores, rose 2.6% year-over-year, trailing both the previous quarter’s 4.1% gain and analyst expectations of a 3.8% increase. Excluding the wellness category—including pharmacies impacted by federal legislation capping prices on high-cost Medicare drugs—comparable sales grew 3.4%. Walmart’s U.S. e-commerce business, a key growth driver, climbed 24%, slightly below the first quarter’s 26% rise. The retailer’s quarterly net income reached $6.37 billion, or 80 cents per share, beating adjusted expectations of 74 cents. Revenue totaled $187.94 billion, up 5.9% from the prior year and exceeding forecasts of $186.62 billion. Walmart’s cautious outlook for the remainder of 2026 includes third-quarter earnings per share guidance of 62 to 64 cents, with sales projected to rise 3% to 3.5% to a range of $184.88 billion to $186.23 billion. For the full year, Walmart now expects earnings per share between $2.80 and $2.87, with sales growth of 4% to 5%, translating to a revenue range of $741.7 billion to $748.8 billion. These forecasts fall short of analyst projections, which had anticipated $2.90 per share and $752.06 billion in sales. The results come amid broader concerns about consumer spending, with recent U.S. retail sales data for July showing unexpected weakness and growing economic pessimism among consumers. Walmart, which serves over 150 million customers weekly, remains a critical barometer for consumer behavior, particularly as inflation pressures persist on essentials like gas and groceries.