Consumer

Walmart Posts Best Month Since 2014 as Discount Rivals Slump

  • Dollar General’s results disappoint, dragging down Dollar Tree
  • Walmart hit the sweet spot with shoppers, JonesTrading says

Shoppers at a Walmart store in Secaucus, New Jersey.

Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

August was a blowout month for Walmart Inc. — and a disastrous one for some of its discount-chain competitors — as consumers rein in spending.

Shares of the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer surged about 13% in August, notching their best month since November 2014 and adding roughly $69 billion to the company’s market capitalization. A stronger-than-expected second-quarter earnings report fueled by price-conscious shoppers drove the advance.