Last year, Walmart reported earnings of $5.13
billion during the same stretch.
Sales rose 4.1% to $139.21 billion, also better
than the $135.43 billion industry analysts
had projected.
Comparable sales at U.S. Walmart stores rose
9.2%, up from both the 5.2% pace during the
second quarter and a 6% increase in the first.
Online spending growth is being compared
with last year’s pandemic-induced shopping
sprees. There was a 37% increase in the fiscal
first quarter and 69% increase in the fiscal
fourth quarter.
Customer traffic rose 5.7% and spending per
trip increased 3.3%, encouraging signs that the
pandemic is loosening its grip as vaccinations
roll out and Americans are returning to stores.
Overseas, Walmart net sales were $23.6 billion, a
20.1% decline, dragged down by divestitures.
The company expects sales at its U.S. stores
opened at least a year to be up around 5% for
the current fourth quarter. It also said it now
expects annual per-share earnings of $6.40,
compared with prior guidance of $6.20 to $6.30.
Analysts have been projecting 2021 earnings of
$6.34 per share.