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Walmart IncWMTHOLDJun 25, 2015Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Oct 16, 2026. Market Open.
WMT and COST are the dominant discount retailers in the US. They became priced for perfection, with multiples of 40-50x PE for a large, mature company. Might be a great company, but that multiple's for a younger company, growing at very high rates because it can get a lot bigger. Both are in the process of compressing to a 20x PE multiple.
Either earnings are better than expected and stock trends sideways. Or earnings are worse, and multiple goes down. Either way, not much upside.
Both great companies, but both very expensive. COST is over 50x PE, and WMT's in the 40s. Fairly low-margin model. Reliant on the consumer, and everyone's affected when that consumer is struggling.
WMT reported today. Earnings were OK, but projections on future quarters were tough. High fuel prices were highlighted.
Successful transition to e-commerce is why stock's been on fire. Topline growth is only 4-5%, and his team debates this company all the time. PE is 46x earnings for 2026, extremely expensive. Seen as a safe place to park $$ as they continue to execute.
See his Top Picks.
The fundamental problem is that they are so big that it is hard for them to grow. A lot of gas price savings have been saved instead of being spent at Wal-Mart. We still have not seen consumer discretionary spending pick up. The economy has become so good that people are spending money on big ticket items instead of at places like Wal-Mart. This should improve over the next couple of years.