Walmart (WMT) Delivery Push Gains Momentum with Papa John’s Partnership

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol credited staff for improving operations, driving a 7.9% U.S. sales increase last quarter. Walmart will now deliver Papa Johns, expanding its delivery network. Authentic Restaurant Brands secured a $325 million investment from Trimontium to grow brands like Pollo Tropical.

Walmart is expanding tap-to-pay in U.S. stores, allowing Apple Pay, Google Pay, and others. Amazon is investing $60B in AI data center chips and $5.76B in a bond sale. Both companies are shifting focus from payment control to customer relationships and AI-driven commerce.

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating eight grocery chains, including Kroger, Walmart, and Amazon, for potential beef price-fixing. The probe follows claims of inflated meat prices. The average ground beef price rose 10% to $6.89 per pound. The Trump administration plans to ease tariffs on imported ground beef to lower prices, but ranchers express concerns about the impact on their businesses.

Jim Cramer recommended buying Walmart (WMT) despite its stock lagging behind Target (TGT). Walmart reported Q2 2027 revenue of $187.9B, with e-commerce up 23% and U.S. comparable sales up 2.6%. Target's Q2 net sales rose 5.3% to $26.5B, with comparable sales up 3.8%. Analysts favor Walmart, citing growth opportunities, while Target's outlook is more balanced.

Walmart WMT reported 38% YoY growth in global advertising, with U.S. and international segments growing 38% and 20% respectively. E-commerce sales rose 23% globally. Advertising contributed to a 96-basis-point expansion in gross profit rate to 25.4%. Vibe acquisition adds SME advertiser access but will reduce fiscal 2027 operating income growth by 20 basis points. Walmart's shares gained 4.8% over the past year, with a forward P/E of 34.75. Analysts expect 5.3% sales and 8.7% EPS growth for the

Walmart, Burlington, and Dollar Tree received billions in tariff refunds, planning to lower prices or offset costs. Walmart (2.9B) and Burlington (55M) will reduce prices, while Dollar Tree (369M) will use funds for targeted cuts, marketing, and operations.