Walmart (NASDAQ: WMT) Delivers Strong Q1 Earnings Amidst Cautious Outlook

Font: Financial Modeling Prep  • May 21, 2026

• Walmart (NASDAQ: WMT) reported strong quarterly results, beating analyst expectations with an EPS of $0.66 and revenue of $177.75 billion.
• The retail giant saw significant growth in its global eCommerce sales (26%), advertising business (37%), and membership fee revenue (17.4%).
• Despite positive performance, Walmart's stock declined due to a weak outlook for the next quarter, driven by concerns over slowing sales growth and consumer spending challenges.

Walmart (NASDAQ: WMT) is a global retail company operating hypermarkets, discount stores, and grocery stores. Its business includes in-store sales and a growing eCommerce platform offering pickup and delivery. The company also has an expanding advertising segment and competes with other major retailers like Target.

On May 21, 2026, Walmart reported strong quarterly results. The company announced an earnings per share (EPS) of $0.66, which was slightly above the analyst expectation of $0.65. EPS represents the portion of a company's profit allocated to each outstanding share of common stock, a key indicator of profitability.

Revenue for the quarter was $177.75 billion, surpassing the estimated $174.84 billion. As highlighted by Business Wire, this financial performance was driven by a 26% growth in global eCommerce sales. Walmart's global advertising business also increased by 37%, and membership fee revenue grew by 17.4%.

Despite the positive report, Walmart's stock fell due to a weak outlook for the next quarter. As highlighted by MarketWatch, the retail giant warned of slowing sales growth and a potential profit miss. Investor's Business Daily noted that this cautious guidance was attributed to shoppers struggling with high gas prices.

Walmart's financial metrics show a Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratio of 45.23, indicating what investors pay per dollar of earnings. Its debt-to-equity ratio is 0.79, showing its reliance on debt versus shareholder funds. The current ratio of 0.77 measures its ability to pay short-term obligations with its short-term assets.