Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) Low Prices Lured Shoppers in the First Quarter
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) recently announced that the company’s first-quarter profits rose 6.9 percent. For April, the company recorded a 3.2 percent same-store increase without fuel. Estimates for May are expected to be flat and the company issued a cautious outlook for the second quarter due to the struggling economy. Wal-Mart earned $3.02 billion, or 76 cents per share, for the three-month period ending April 30, up from $2.83 billion, or 68 cents per share, one year earlier. The company attributes the strong quarter and beating Wall Street’s expectations to improving inventory management and providing better customer service. Wal-Mart’s…