Walmart Q4 Earnings: Revenue And EPS Surprise, Dividend Hike, VIZIO Buyout And More

Walmart Inc WMT reported fourth-quarter FY24 net sales growth of 5.7% year-over-year to $173.39 billion, beating the consensus of $170.71 billion.

Adjusted EPS was $1.80, beating the consensus of $1.65. The stock price gained after the results.

Net sales from Walmart U.S. increased 3.4% Y/Y, Walmart International rose 17.6%, and Sam’s Club U.S. was up 2.0%.

Walmart’s total U.S. comp sales (ex-fuel) grew by 4.0%, with growth in eCommerce of 17%, led by pickup & delivery.

Walmart U.S. Operating income rose 12.9% Y/Y to $6.1 billion, and the margin expanded by 44 bps to 5.2%. 

Consolidated operating income rose by $1.7 billion, or 30.4%; adjusted operating income up 13.2%, positively affected by currency and LIFO of 2.3% and 1.0%, respectively.

The consolidated gross margin rate was up 39 bps, positively affected by a slight improvement for Walmart U.S. 

The company held $9.9 billion in cash and equivalents.

M&A: Walmart agrees to buy VIZIO Holding Corp VZIO for $11.50 per share in cash, equating to a fully diluted equity value of approximately $2.3 billion. The acquisition of VIZIO and its SmartCast Operating System (OS) would enable Walmart to connect with and serve its customers in new ways, including innovative television and in-home entertainment and media experiences.

Dividend: The board approved an annual cash dividend for fiscal year 2025 of $0.83 per share on a post-stock split basis or $2.49 per share on a pre-split basis, approximately a 9% increase from the $2.28 per share paid for the last fiscal year.

“We crossed $100 billion in eCommerce sales and drove share gains as our customer experience metrics improved, even during our highest volume days leading up to the holidays,” said Doug McMillon President and CEO of Walmart.

Outlook: Walmart expects first-quarter consolidated net sales (cc) growth of 4.0% to 5.0% (leap year estimated to benefit approximately 100bps). The analyst consensus stands at $145.89 billion. It expects adjusted EPS of $1.48 – $1.56 pre-split versus the $1.48 consensus.

Walmart expects FY25 consolidated net sales (cc) growth of 3.0% to 4.0%. The analyst consensus stands at $618.84 billion. It expects adjusted EPS of $6.70 – $7.12 pre-split versus the $6.55 consensus.

Price Action: WMT shares are trading higher by 4.55% at $178.11 premarket on the last check Tuesday.

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