Walmart: leading the Dow, UBS optimistic ahead of results

(CercleFinance.com) - Walmart was one of the few Dow Jones index gainers on Wednesday morning, buoyed by optimistic comments from UBS just over a week ahead of the American retail giant's quarterly earnings release.


In a research note, the consultancy believes that the supermarket group's 4th-quarter accounts should act as a "catalyst", providing support for the stock.

"We believe that the results will meet expectations, which are nevertheless high", writes the analyst, who maintains his buy recommendation and price target of 113 euros on the stock.

The key question is what outlook the company will provide for next year", adds UBS, pointing out that the consensus forecast for 2025 is for sales growth of 4.2%, accompanied by a 10.4% rise in operating income.

In addition to its accounts and targets, the company has a number of elements that could lead to an appreciation in the stock market, it concludes, citing possible market share gains, as well as the expansion of its activities in advertising, data and subscriptions.

Walmart will publish its 4th quarter results on Thursday, February 20, before the markets open.

An hour after the opening, the stock was up nearly 0.7%, posting the strongest rise of the Dow Jones index.

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