Walmart Confident in Competitive Positioning Amid Pricing Pressure, RBC Capital Markets Says
Walmart (WMT) is facing upwards pressure on pricing, but the retailer is confident in its competitive positioning, RBC Capital Markets said in a note following the company's annual Associates and Shareholders Week in Arkansas.The investment firm said the "tone and messaging" at the event were consistent with the company's fiscal Q1 earnings call on May 21, with management reiterating that fuel costs are expected to rise to roughly $250 million in Q2 from about $175 million in Q1."We get the sense that the team has yet to materially pass on price to the consumer, but it feels inevitable if costs remain elevated," analysts wrote in the note Friday, adding that price increases would likely "disproportionately hit grocery relative to general merchandise."RBC said, however, that Walmart "feels very good" about current price gaps and the margin levers at its disposal, which should allow it to maintain or even widen its competitive positioning.Additionally, the company may get up to $3 billion in tariff refunds, which would give it "somewhat of a war chest for reinvestment -- a potential competitive advantage relative to pure play food retailers, who were less affected by tariffs last year," the note said.RBC Capital Markets has an outperform rating on Walmart and $137 price target.Price: $119.72, Change: $+0.84, Percent Change: +0.71%