Wal-Mart Reports Earnings Thursday (WMT)

Ah our beloved Wal-Marty finally gets its spotlight this Thursday (Nov 12th) when the mighty retailer reports third quarter 2010 earnings.  Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT) takes the stage before the market opens and the world will be watching as shareholders hope for something good.

(WallStNation.com) Wal-Mart seems to be locked in a bit of trading range right now, bouncing between about $49 and $52 a share. The chart for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) does not lend itself well to good technical analysis interpretation at the moment as the price is right in the middle of the upper and lower trend lines (blue and purple line in chart below).

According to analysts, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) is projected to post a third-quarter gain of 81 cents a share, which is right on target with the estimate 90 days ago. In the year-ago quarter, Wal-Mart earned 77 cents per share on revenue of $97.6 billion. The analysts’ consensus recommendation on the stock is that of a strong BUY.

Wal-Mart remains a strong, long-term company for the U.S. and will be sticking around for years to come. This stock may be a good buy on any weakness that brings the stock down to the $49 level. If by chance earnings disappoint, it might be wise to allow the market to react and then pounce, buying shares at a nice discount. If earnings meet expectation or surprise, then we would anticipate Wal-Mart to continue its gentle uptrend after a gap up in stock price on November 12.

If the reaction is bearish to Wal-Mart's earnings call on Thursday investors may get a chance to buy the stock under $50. Best of luck to shareholders playing the call and for more insight on buying Wal-Mart before Thursday, check out Reasons to Go Long Wal-Mart, RadioShack, and Coach (WMT, RSH, COH) - click to open>>. 

SOURCE: http://wallstnation.com/walmart-earnings-buy-10102009