Walmart on Thursday reported its slowest quarterly comparable sales growth in six years and warned shoppers were likely being squeezed by high gasoline prices, stoking concerns that pressure on U.S. consumers is mounting.
The retailer raised its annual sales and profit forecasts and said aggressive price cuts would boost demand later this year, but investors were unconvinced.
Shares fell as much as 10% to a nine-month low of $102.85 — its biggest single-day drop since May 2022 — and were on track for a nearly $90 billion loss in market value if losses hold.
The retailer, the world’s biggest by revenue, is known for its low prices on grocery and essentials, which has helped Walmart stay well ahead of competition. But price rollbacks on 11,000 products, announced on Wednesday, will be fueled in part by $2.9 billion in tariff refunds – a one-time boon, and a strategy also being deployed by rivals including Target.
“For the consumer economy, this is like Nvidia posting a slowdown,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief economic strategist at Annex Wealth Management. “Walmart has been winning the trade-down trade, but that tailwind may be fading.”
There are other signs pointing to softening demand. U.S. retail sales fell unexpectedly in July, while gasoline prices have remained elevated for months. President Donald Trump last week warned consumers that fuel prices could remain high as the war in Iran drags on.
