Walmart's Holiday Prediction: Consumers 'Want a Sense of Normalcy'

Walmart (NYSE: WMT) is expecting an unusual end to its wild fiscal year. It suffered a slight growth slowdown in its fiscal 2021 third quarter, mainly due to the end of much of the federal government's emergency economic stimulus. But the results from the period, which ended Oct. 30, included other welcome surprises for investors, highlighted by rising profit margins both in stores and online.

The world's biggest retailer has a unique window into consumers' day-to-day attitudes thanks to its massive selling platform that generates over $500 billion in annual revenue. With the benefit of those insights, CEO Doug McMillon and his executive team explained during Tuesday's fiscal Q3 conference call why the chain is optimistic about the holiday quarter, despite the major risks created by COVID-19 and slumping economic growth.

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Source Fool.com