NEW YORK, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Walmart Inc. forecast lower-than-expected profit for the full year, signaling that even the world's largest retailer isn't immune to risks in the broader economic environment, reported Bloomberg News on Thursday.
The company said it's anticipating adjusted earnings to come between 2.50 U.S. dollars to 2.60 dollars per share, below the average of what Wall Street analysts were projecting. The stock fell 5.6 percent at 10:36 a.m. in New York on Thursday.
Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart historically starts the year with a cautious outlook and lifts guidance later on, according to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Jennifer Bartashus.
"Walmart is doing exactly what they do every year," Bartashus said, adding that there aren't any new threats to the business. But investor expectations are high after a 77 percent run-up in the stock price over the past 12 months.
On a call with analysts, John David Rainey, the company's chief financial officer, described its guidance as consistent with past years, but acknowledged "there are still uncertainties related to consumer behavior and global economic and geopolitical conditions."
