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Walmart Inc.: Q2 FY2027 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2027, from the documents filed with the SEC on 20 August 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 4 raised, 4 new, 2 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue and operating income rose: Total revenues were $187.9 billion, up 5.9% (5.1% in constant currency). Operating income rose 28.8% to $9.4 billion, or 17.4% adjusted in constant currency. Source
  • Underlying growth at top of guidance: Excluding the net effect of tariff refunds and price investments, underlying operating income growth was at the top end of guidance. Management asked that Q2 and Q3 be read together. Source
  • ECommerce up 23% globally: Global eCommerce sales grew 23%, led by store-fulfilled pickup and delivery and marketplace. Walmart U.S. eCommerce sales rose 24% and Sam's Club eCommerce sales rose 26%. Source
  • Gross profit rate up 96 bps: Consolidated gross profit rate rose 96 bps, led by Walmart U.S. Walmart U.S. gross profit rose 158 bps, partly offset by price investments and higher fuel costs. Source
  • Walmart U.S. comp sales up 2.6%: Walmart U.S. comparable sales excluding fuel rose 2.6%, with transactions up 1.5% and average ticket up 1.1%. Source
  • Free cash flow down on capex: Six-month operating cash flow was $19.7 billion, up $1.4 billion. Six-month free cash flow was $5.5 billion, down $1.4 billion. Source
  • Guidance raised for the year: Management said the business model is getting stronger and more durable, and it raised full-year guidance. Source

“Our team delivered another good quarter, and we continue to make steady progress on the long-term value drivers of our business.”

John Furner President and CEO, Walmart

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net sales growth (constant currency) SourceQ3 fiscal 20273.0% to 3.75%New
Operating income growth (constant currency) SourceQ3 fiscal 20272.0% to 4.0%New
Adjusted EPS SourceQ3 fiscal 2027$0.62 to $0.64New
Net sales growth (constant currency) SourceFiscal 20274.0% to 5.0%Raised from 3.5% to 4.5%
Adjusted operating income growth (constant currency) SourceFiscal 20277.0% to 8.5%Raised from 6.0% to 8.0%
Adjusted EPS SourceFiscal 2027$2.80 to $2.87Raised from $2.75 to $2.85
Capital expenditures SourceFiscal 2027approximately 4.0% of net salesRaised from approximately 3.5% of net sales
Adjusted interest, net SourceFiscal 2027increase of approximately $200M to $300MKept
Effective tax rate SourceFiscal 2027approximately 23.5% to 24.5%Kept
Q3 sales headwind from timing shift SourceQ3 fiscal 2027over 100bpsNew

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year guidance raised on net sales, adjusted operating income and adjusted EPS, from the February 19, 2026 levels. Source
  • Guidance raised: Capital expenditure guidance raised from approximately 3.5% to approximately 4.0% of net sales. Source
  • New guidance: Q3 fiscal 2027 guidance issued for net sales and operating income growth in constant currency. Source
  • New: Second-quarter operating income includes the impact of tariff refunds received, partly offset by price investments in the quarter. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue and operating income rose: Total revenues were $187.9 billion, up 5.9% (5.1% in constant currency). Operating income rose 28.8% to $9.4 billion, or 17.4% adjusted in constant currency. Source
  • Adjusted EPS excluded equity losses: Diluted EPS was $0.80, down from $0.88. Adjusted EPS was $0.81, against $0.68 a year earlier, excluding a $0.12 net loss on investments and a $0.11 tax benefit. Source
  • Underlying growth at top of guidance: Excluding the net effect of tariff refunds and price investments, underlying operating income growth was at the top end of guidance. Management asked that Q2 and Q3 be read together. Source

Segments and regions

  • Walmart U.S. operating income up 20.6%: Walmart U.S. net sales rose 3.5% to $125.2 billion. Operating income rose 20.6% to $8.1 billion on higher gross profit and improved eCommerce economics. Source
  • International sales up 12.8% reported: Walmart International net sales rose 12.8% to $35.2 billion, or 7.9% in constant currency. Currency added $1.5 billion to sales and $0.1 billion to operating income. Source
  • Sam's Club operating income up 44%: Sam's Club U.S. net sales rose 8.8% to $25.7 billion, or 4.5% excluding fuel. Operating income rose 44.3% to $0.7 billion, or 23.3% on an adjusted basis. Source
  • Corporate operating loss narrowed: Corporate and support operating loss was $854 million in the quarter, compared with $1.15 billion a year earlier. Source

“Our multi-year growth in eCommerce is evidence that customers are choosing Walmart because we deliver price, speed, and convenience across a broad assortment.”

John Furner President and CEO, Walmart

Products and customers

  • ECommerce up 23% globally: Global eCommerce sales grew 23%, led by store-fulfilled pickup and delivery and marketplace. Walmart U.S. eCommerce sales rose 24% and Sam's Club eCommerce sales rose 26%. Source
  • Advertising up 38% globally: Global advertising rose 38%. Walmart Connect excluding VIZIO rose 43%, and International advertising rose 20%, led by Flipkart Ads. Source
  • Membership fee revenue up 17%: Membership fee revenue grew 17% globally. Walmart+ net adds reached a record second-quarter high, and Sam's Club membership fee revenue rose 6%. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Gross profit rate up 96 bps: Consolidated gross profit rate rose 96 bps, led by Walmart U.S. Walmart U.S. gross profit rose 158 bps, partly offset by price investments and higher fuel costs. Source
  • Operating margin rose to 5.0%: Consolidated operating margin was 5.0% of net sales, up from 4.1% a year earlier. Source
  • Sam's and International margins: Sam's Club operating margin was 2.6% of net sales, up from 2.0%. Walmart International operating margin was 4.1%, up from 4.0%. Source

“For this reason, I encourage you to consider Q2 and Q3 performance together to assess the underlying growth of the business,”

John David Rainey, Walmart Inc. executive vice president and chief financial officer

Demand, traffic and inventory

  • Walmart U.S. comp sales up 2.6%: Walmart U.S. comparable sales excluding fuel rose 2.6%, with transactions up 1.5% and average ticket up 1.1%. Source
  • Sam's Club comp sales up 4.4%: Sam's Club U.S. comparable sales excluding fuel rose 4.4%, with transactions up 7.0% and average ticket down 2.5%. Source
  • Inventory up 6.7% to $61.6B: Global inventory rose 6.7% to $61.6 billion, or 6.0% in constant currency, from strategic initiatives and inflation. Source

Cash, capital and returns to shareholders

  • Free cash flow down on capex: Six-month operating cash flow was $19.7 billion, up $1.4 billion. Six-month free cash flow was $5.5 billion, down $1.4 billion. Source
  • Share repurchases of $5.1 billion: Walmart repurchased 42.3 million shares year to date for $5.1 billion, leaving $25.1 billion of the $30 billion authorization. Source
  • Cash and total debt levels: Cash and cash equivalents were $11.5 billion, and total debt was $57.2 billion. Source
  • Dividends declared rose: Dividends declared were $0.99 per share for the six months, against $0.94 a year earlier. Source
  • Return on assets and invested capital: ROA was 8.0% and ROI was 15.4% on a trailing twelve-month basis, against 8.3% and 15.1% a year earlier. Source

Guidance and capital investment

  • Guidance raised for the year: Management said the business model is getting stronger and more durable, and it raised full-year guidance. Source
  • Capital spending step-up for omnichannel: Capital expenditures rose $2.8 billion in the period to support the omnichannel growth strategy, lowering free cash flow. Source
  • Flipkart festival timing shift to Q4: A timing shift of Flipkart's Big Billion Days from Q3 into Q4 is expected to reduce Q3 sales growth. Source

Coming up, as management said on 20 August 2026

  • Second-half price investments from refunds: Tariff refunds received in Q2 are to go into customer experience and price investments in the second half. Source
  • Buyback capacity remaining: $25.1 billion remains under the $30 billion repurchase authorization approved in February 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Comparable sales excluding fuel, Walmart U.S. Source2.6%
Comparable sales excluding fuel, Sam's Club U.S. Source4.4%
Transactions, Walmart U.S. Source1.5%
Transactions, Sam's Club U.S. Source7.0%
Average ticket, Walmart U.S. Source1.1%
Average ticket, Sam's Club U.S. Source-2.5%
Inventory, global Source$61.6 billion, up 6.7%
ECommerce contribution to comp, Walmart U.S. Source~510 bps
ECommerce sales growth, global Source23%
Gross profit rate, consolidated Source25.4% of net sales, up 96 bps

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: Pharmacy deflation from new maximum fair price regulation, effective January 1, reduced Walmart U.S. comp sales by 125 bps. Source
  • Demand: Walmart U.S. comp sales include an 80 bps headwind from health and wellness. Source
  • Operational: Walmart U.S. operating expenses deleveraged 72 bps on higher claims expense, depreciation and associate healthcare costs. Source
  • External: Higher fuel costs affected Sam's Club inventory growth and Walmart U.S. gross profit. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: Management said underlying operating income growth, excluding the net tariff refund and price investment effect, was at the top end of guidance. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.