Walmart is planning layoffs in a restructuring aimed at managing its expenses and speeding up decision-making.
Walmart said last week that it planned to raise prices over tariffs, opening the door for other retailers to follow suit. On Tuesday, Home Depot said it didn't plan to increase prices and would instead rely on other "levers.
Walmart plans to start increasing prices this month. Don't be surprised to see other retailers follow in its footsteps.
Walmart's announcement on Thursday that it will hike some prices due to tariffs came at a risk — and led to a critical social media post by President Donald Trump. The big-box retailer's thinner margins, price-sensitive customers and desire to influence policymakers' decisions may have factored into its decision to speak out, according to retail analysts.
The president recently attacked Walmart, saying it should “eat” the costs rather than pass them on to customers.
Oliver Chen, TD Cowen retail analyst, joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss Chen's thoughts on retail earnings, political elements to Walmart's stock, and much more.
Walmart's announcement that it will raise prices due to tariffs has other retailers "delighted." The news gives retailers cover to raise their own prices, experts told BI.
I'm giving Walmart Inc. a Sell rating for its near-term downside risks from tariff uncertainty and rising costs that'll weigh on margins. Despite strong growth in high-margin segments like Walmart Connect and Walmart+, I see more room for weakness than strength for gross margins. Earnings missed sales estimates and warned of higher prices, and now Walmart is facing pressure to absorb the cost impact.
Last week, anticipated price hikes at Walmart attracted headlines across the country after CEO Doug McMillon warned that certain items would become more expensive as a result of President Donald Trump's tariff policies.
There's no denying that the current state of the S&P 500 index can be summed up in a couple of words: volatile and uncertain. President Trump's recently rolled out trade tariffs create a less clear future for global trade and the costs to be paid and handled by hundreds of businesses in the United States, indirectly hurting the ability for management and Wall Street analysts to forecast earnings potential down the line.
Klarna reported a 15% rise in first-quarter revenue on Monday and returned to profit as the UK announced plans to tighten regulation on buy now, pay later lenders. The Swedish fintech posted $701 million in revenue and a $3 million adjusted profit, compared with a $2 million loss a year earlier, excluding the sale of its checkout business. The results follow Klarna’s decision last month to pause its planned US initial public offering, citing economic uncertainty and tariff concerns. The company made no mention of the IPO in its earnings update but said it is monitoring shifts in the business environment. The UK, one of Klarna’s key markets, said Monday it will introduce new rules from next year aimed at protecting consumers from unregulated lending. Klarna’s US revenue rose 33%, helped by partnerships with Walmart, DoorDash and eBay. StickIt Technologies Inc. (CSE:STKT) announced that it has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Igor Kostioutchenko to its board of directors. Kostioutchenko brings more than 15 years of experience in accounting and finance to the company, StickIt said in a statement on Friday. He holds multiple professional designations, including Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Business Valuator, Certified Internal Auditor, Certified Fraud Examiner, and is a Licensed Public Accountant. His expertise lies in financial assurance, advisory, and valuations, which StickIt highlighted are critical areas as the company advances its intellectual property portfolio and product commercialization. Eli Ben Haroosh, StickIt CEO, welcomed Kostioutchenko to the company’s board of directors. "We hope his expertise in finance and assurance will further increase the company's audit committee's and board of directors' financial expertise,” he said. “Mr Kostioutchenko is a chartered professional accountant with extensive experience in a variety of companies, and I am confident that his contribution to the company will be significant and comes at exactly the right time."
Walmart (WMT) has been one of the stocks most watched by Zacks.com users lately. So, it is worth exploring what lies ahead for the stock.