Walmart Inc. warned that higher prices for food and fuel were causing consumers to pull back, an ominous sign for the U.S. economy that has relied on resilient household spending power through rising inflation.
The country’s largest retailer, which warned in May that it was stuck with too much unsold goods, said on Monday that it was having to cut prices to reduce merchandise levels at its flagship chain and Sam’s Club warehouse chain. The markdowns will cause the company’s profits to fall in the second quarter and fiscal year.
The announcement sent Walmart’s shares down nearly 10% in after-hours trading Monday, and pressured other stocks, with Amazon.com Inc. falling about 4%. Walmart’s e-commerce rival is slated to report its latest results on Thursday.
Source: WSJ
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