Walmart (WMT): Can Suppliers Keep Funding Its Inventory Growth?

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) benefits from collecting shoppers' cash before many supplier bills fall due. That advantage can finance merchandise growth, but inventory and accounts payable together absorbed approximately $1.0 billion in the first half of fiscal 2027, compared with supplying $0.6 billion a year earlier. Inflation and a larger inventory commitment are testing how efficiently sales become cash. Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) has a forward P/E of approximately 38x versus a trailing P/E of 40x. Operating growth supports the lower forward multiple, while investment revaluations complicate comparisons with reported profit. Management's $2.80–$2.87 adjusted EPS guidance implies 6–9% growth for the year ending January 2027.