Wal-Mart Reports Record Third Quarter Sales and Earnings

Wal-Mart Reports Record Third Quarter Sales and Earnings

BENTONVILLE, Ark., Nov. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) reported record third quarter sales and earnings for the quarter ended October 31, 2005. Net sales were $75.4 billion, an increase of 10.1 percent over the third quarter of fiscal 2005. Net income for the quarter was $2.4 billion, an increase of 3.8 percent from $2.3 billion in the third quarter of fiscal 2005. Earnings per share were $0.57, up from $0.54 per share in the same prior year quarter.

Net income for the quarter ended October 31, 2005, included three items netting to an unfavorable after tax impact of $80 million or $0.02 per share: approximately $40 million of costs incurred as a result of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma; and in our Wal-Mart Stores segment, $69 million of expense related to product warranty programs partially offset by $29 million of other income resulting from the Visa MasterCard antitrust litigation settlement.

Net sales for the nine months ended October 31, 2005, were $223.2 billion, an increase of 9.9 percent over the first nine months of fiscal 2005. Net income for the nine months ended October 31, 2005, increased 7.6 percent to a record $7.6 billion, up from $7.1 billion in the same prior year period. Diluted earnings per share for the nine months ended October 31, 2005, were $1.82, up from $1.66 in the same prior year period.

Lee Scott, President and CEO, said, "I am proud of the record results our associates achieved in the quarter while leading the relief efforts in the aftermath of three major hurricanes."

  Net sales were as follows (dollars in billions):

                         Three Months Ended           Nine Months Ended
                              October 31,                 October 31,
                                       Percent                      Percent
                        2005      2004  Change     2005       2004   Change
   Wal-Mart Stores    $50.243   $45.888   9.5%   $149.693   $136.373   9.8%
   SAM'S CLUB          10.019     9.082  10.3%     29.143     27.139   7.4%
   International       15.174    13.550  12.0%     44.319     39.493  12.2%
     Total Company    $75.436   $68.520  10.1%   $223.155   $203.005   9.9%

Total U.S. comparable sales for the quarter increased 3.8 percent, which is represented by a 2.9 percent comp increase for Wal-Mart Stores and an 8.1 percent comp increase for SAM'S CLUB. Total U.S. comparable sales for the nine month period were up 3.4 percent, which is comprised of a 3.1 percent comp increase for Wal-Mart Stores and a 5.0 percent comp increase for SAM'S CLUB.

Wal-Mart Stores Segment:

For the third quarter of fiscal 2006, the Wal-Mart Stores segment, including Supercenters, had segment operating income (income before net interest expense, income taxes, unallocated corporate overhead and minority interest) of $3.312 billion, an increase of 6.3 percent, compared with $3.115 billion in the third quarter of fiscal 2005.

For the nine months ended October 31, 2005, the Wal-Mart Stores segment, including Supercenters, had segment operating income of $10.610 billion, an increase of 6.9 percent, as compared with segment operating income of $9.921 billion in the similar period in the prior year.

SAM'S CLUB Segment:

The SAM'S CLUB segment had segment operating income for the third quarter of fiscal 2006 of $342 million, an increase of 11.8 percent, compared with $306 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2005.

For the nine months ended October 31, 2005, the SAM'S CLUB segment had segment operating income of $1.008 billion, an increase of 9.0 percent, as compared with segment operating income of $925 million in the similar period in the prior year.

International Segment:

The International segment had segment operating income of $797 million for the most recent quarter, an increase of 14.2 percent, compared with $698 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2005.

The International segment had segment operating income of $2.214 billion for the first nine months of fiscal 2006, an increase of 10.2 percent, compared with $2.009 billion for the similar period in fiscal 2005.

Guidance:

We expect earnings per share for the fourth quarter to come in between $0.82 to $0.86, and for the year, our forecast is $ 2.64 to $2.68.

After this earnings release has been furnished to the SEC, a pre-recorded call offering additional comments on the quarter will be available to all investors. You may listen to this call by dialing 203-369-1090. The information included in this release and our pre-recorded phone call will be available in the investor information area on our web site at http://www.walmartstores.com/ under financial information, earnings and dividends.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and SAM'S CLUB locations in the United States. The company operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, South Korea and the United Kingdom. The company's securities are listed on the New York and Pacific stock exchanges under the symbol WMT. More information about Wal-Mart can be found by visiting http://www.walmartfacts.com/ . Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com/ .

This release contains statements as to management's forecast of earnings per share for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2006 that Wal-Mart believes are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and intended to enjoy the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provided by that Act. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, domestically and internationally, including, the cost of goods, competitive pressures, geopolitical conditions, inflation, consumer spending patterns and debt levels, currency exchange fluctuations, trade restrictions, changes in tariff and freight rates, weather conditions, changes in gasoline, diesel fuel and other energy costs, labor costs, health care costs and accident costs, interest rate fluctuations and other capital market conditions and other risks. We discuss certain of these factors more fully in other of our filings with the SEC, including our last Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC, and this release should be read in conjunction with that Annual Report on Form 10-K, and together with all our other filings, including current reports on Form 8-K, made with the SEC through the date of this report. We urge you to consider all of these risks, uncertainties and other factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements contained in this release. As a result of these matters, including changes in facts, assumptions not being realized or other circumstances, our actual results may differ materially from historical results or from anticipated results implied in the forward-looking statements contained in this release. These forward- looking statements are made only as of the date of this report and we undertake no obligation to update the forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

                  WAL-MART STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
                    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
                               (Unaudited)
               (Amounts in millions except per share data)

                             Three Months Ended       Nine Months Ended
                                 October 31,              October 31,
                              2005         2004         2005        2004

  Revenues:
    Net sales                $75,436      $68,520     $223,155     $203,005
    Other income, net            817          762        2,371        2,227
                              76,253       69,282      225,526      205,232

  Costs and expenses:
    Cost of sales             57,988       52,567      171,346      156,070
    Operating, selling,
     general and
     administrative expenses  14,216       12,931       41,511       37,369
    Operating income           4,049        3,784       12,669       11,793

  Interest:
    Debt                         348          248          847          649
    Capital leases                60           57          174          189
    Interest income              (59)         (64)        (170)        (149)
    Interest, net                349          241          851          689

  Income before income
   taxes and minority
   interest                    3,700        3,543       11,818       11,104
  Provision for income taxes   1,254        1,207        3,969        3,853
  Income before minority
   interest                    2,446        2,336        7,849        7,251
  Minority interest              (72)         (50)        (209)        (148)
       Net income             $2,374       $2,286       $7,640       $7,103

  Net income per common share:
    Basic                      $0.57        $0.54        $1.82        $1.67
    Diluted                    $0.57        $0.54        $1.82        $1.66

  Weighted-average number
   of common shares:
    Basic                      4,165        4,242        4,189        4,266
    Diluted                    4,169        4,249        4,194        4,274

Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior period to conform to the

                          current presentation.



                  WAL-MART STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
                  CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
                               (Unaudited)
                          (Amounts in millions)

   SUBJECT TO RECLASSIFICATION
                                    October 31,    October 31,   January 31,
                                       2005            2004          2005
              ASSETS

  Cash and cash equivalents            $4,535          $4,639        $5,488
  Receivables                           1,846           1,418         1,715
  Inventories                          36,573          33,680        29,762
  Prepaid expenses and other            1,970           1,574         1,841
    Total current assets               44,924          41,311        38,806

  Property and equipment, at cost      91,781          80,988        84,037
  Less accumulated depreciation        20,883          18,545        18,637
    Property and equipment, net        70,898          62,443        65,400

  Property under capital leases, net
 3,086           2,627         2,718
  Goodwill                             10,467          10,191        10,803
  Other assets and deferred charges     2,424           2,485         2,427
      Total assets                   $131,799        $119,057      $120,154

     LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
  Commercial paper                     $6,774          $7,569        $3,812
  Accounts payable                     25,115          23,113        21,987
  Dividends payable                       645             537           ---
  Accrued liabilities                  12,702          12,258        12,120
  Accrued income taxes                    650             525         1,281
  Long-term debt due within one year
 4,172           3,721         3,759
  Obligations under capital leases
   due within one year
                 257             206           223
    Total current liabilities          50,315          47,929        43,182

  Long-term debt                       23,249          19,099        20,087
  Long-term obligations
   under capital leases                 3,547           3,048         3,171
  Deferred income taxes and other       3,391           2,626         2,978
  Minority interest                     1,379           1,261         1,340

  Commitments and contingencies

  Common stock and capital in excess
   of par value                         2,925           2,723         2,848
  Retained earnings                    45,495          40,850        43,854
  Other accumulated comprehensive
   income                               1,498           1,521         2,694
    Total shareholders' equity         49,918          45,094        49,396
      Total liabilities
       and shareholders' equity      $131,799        $119,057      $120,154

Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior period to conform to the

                          current presentation.



                  WAL-MART STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
             CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
                               (Unaudited)
                          (Amounts in millions)

  SUBJECT TO RECLASSIFICATION
                                                         Nine Months Ended
                                                            October 31
                                                        2005          2004

  Cash flows from operating activities:
    Net income                                        $7,640         $7,103
    Adjustments to reconcile net income
     to net cash provided by operating activities:
       Depreciation and amortization                   3,514          3,161
       Other                                             567            311
       Changes in certain assets and liabilities,
        net of effects of acquisitions:

         Increase in accounts receivable                 (74)           (44)
         Increase in inventories                      (6,673)        (6,632)
         Increase in accounts payable                  3,182          3,099
         Increase (decrease) in accrued liabilities      (42)           450
           Net cash provided by operating activities   8,114          7,448

  Cash flows from investing activities:
    Payments for property and equipment              (10,405)        (9,260)
    Disposal of assets                                   739            742
    Investment in international operations              (307)          (315)
    Other investing activities                          (122)           (99)
           Net cash used in investing activities     (10,095)        (8,932)

  Cash flows from financing activities:
    Increase in commercial paper                       2,962          4,302
    Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt           6,940          4,831
    Dividends paid                                    (1,887)        (1,664)
    Payment of long-term debt                         (2,722)        (2,081)
    Purchase of Company stock                         (3,580)        (4,398)
    Other financing activities                          (615)          (105)
           Net cash provided by financing activities   1,098            885

  Effect of exchange rates on cash                       (70)            39
  Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents             (953)          (560)
  Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year       5,488          5,199
  Cash and cash equivalents at end of period          $4,535         $4,639

Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior period to conform to the

current presentation.

Website: http://www.walmartstores.com/
Website: http://www.walmartfacts.com/
Website: http://www.walmart.com/



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