Episode 253: Today, Ann dives into Walmart’s latest earnings – and unpacks what the retail bellwether’s rare sales miss tells us about the state of the consumer. Then, we take a spin through market headlines, including earnings results from John Deere, Alibaba and Labubu-parent company Pop Mart. Plus, why a C-suite departure at CrowdStrike sent the stock tumbling. Finally, from airlines to academia – we follow the data trail and survey the unlikely sources feeding the AI boom. Visit Schwab.com/FinancialDecoder www.brewmarkets.com Subscribe to the Brew Markets newsletter: https://www.morningbrew.com/brew-mark... Follow Brew Markets on social: Instagram: instagram.com/brewmarkets TikTok: tiktok.com/@brewmarkets X: x.com/brewmarkets Follow Ann Berry on social: Instagram: instagram.com/annberry_nyc X: x.com/AnnBerry_NYC Listen to Brew Markets Here: swap.fm/l/9Qk4z73Z2nEwFiCB4qee Watch Brew Markets Here:⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@BrewMarkets The content shared on this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Brew Markets, Morning Brew and their hosts are not licensed financial advisors. Listeners should conduct their own research and consult with qualified professionals before making any financial decisions or investments. The views expressed are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Morning Brew or its affiliates. This podcast may include paid endorsements or sponsorships Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Walmart’s Warning Sign & Unusual AI Data Sources

Brew Markets

Pop Mart The Lubu Bu craze is fading, but can the company's twinkle twinkle collection be its next shining star? Spirit Airlines, the defunct carrier, is now a source of data for AI training. We have the latest on the surprising ways that big tech is feeding its models. And Wal-Mart, the retail Bellwether's rare sales miss just set investors' nerves on edge. We break down what it tells us about consumer sentiment. But Thursday, August 20th, it's Brew Markets Daily and I'm Ann Berry.

More market details to come. But first, Walmart, the bellwether stock, getting hit today after the world's largest retailer delivered a rare sales disappointment. Well, the Arkansas giant is usually viewed as one of the most reliable reads on U.S. consumer spending. And today, investors did not like what they saw. That's despite actually a lot of good news in the earnings report. Walmart posted adjusted earnings of $0.81 a share, beating expectations.

And the company nudged its full-year outlook higher, something that usually prompts a round of applause from the market. But the company now expects adjusted earnings of $2.80 to $2.87 a share. Good, but it seems not good enough because the problem is that U.S. comparable sales rose 2.6% in the last quarter. Positive? Yes. Growth? Yes. Actually pretty decent.

The problem is it was well below the roughly 3.8% growth that Wall Street had been expecting. And as Walmart's first same-store sales miss versus expectations in more than five years, the stock fell sharply following the report, down about 8%. Well, the concern is what Walmart is seeing from shoppers. Management says consumers are pulling back on more discretionary purchases. That's as high a fuel cost squeeze household budgets.

Walmart’s Warning Sign & Unusual AI Data Sources

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.

Walmart’s Warning Sign & Unusual AI Data Sources

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast, not the earnings call.

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.