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Walmart hikes full-year outlook, says it will use huge tariff refund to keep prices low
Comparable sales rose 2.6% and e-commerce grew 24%, while tariff refunds helped lift profit and support Walmart’s higher full-year outlook.
On Thursday, August 20, 2026, Walmart reported $187.9 billion in quarterly revenue and raised full-year guidance to 4%–5% net sales growth and $2.80–$2.87 adjusted EPS, yet shares fell 9% after U.S. comparable sales grew just 2.6%, missing expectations.
Walmart received $2.9 billion in tariff refunds following the Supreme Court's February 2026 ruling that invalidated certain IEEPA import taxes, and plans to reinvest substantially all of this capital into customer price reductions and experience improvements.
Federal drug pricing rules reduced U.S. comparable sales by 0.8%, masking underlying demand, according to company disclosures. CFO John David Rainey noted consumers are making trade-offs as fuel prices remain above $4 per gallon.
Despite the stock decline, Walmart is capturing market share among households with annual incomes over $100,000, and management continues prioritizing price investments to maintain this momentum amid broader economic pressures.
Walmart projects third-quarter net sales growth between 3% and 3.75% with adjusted EPS of $0.62 to $0.64, signaling caution regarding sustained consumer spending power for the remainder of fiscal 2027.