Wal-Mart income up 14.1% in 1Q

By Don Hogsett -- Home Textiles Today, 5/19/2003 12:00:00 AM

BENTONVILLE, AR —

Even though sales came in on the light side, dipping beneath the double-digit mark, first-quarter profits at Wal-Mart Stores, the world's largest retailer, still managed to climb by 14.1 percent, to $1.8 billion from $1.6 billion last year.

Holding up the bottom line, the retailer improved its margins and pared its interest costs, at the same time building its rapidly expanding international business, which recorded the retailers strongest sales and earnings gains during the period, outpacing U.S. Wal-Mart stores and Sam's Club.

Dipping below the benchmark double-digit point for the first time in recent memory, overall sales increased by 9.7 percent, to $56.7 billion from $51.7 billion a year ago. Same-store sales increased just 2.2 percent in a particularly rocky environment for U.S. retailers. Excluded from the sales total are results of the company's McLane grocery distribution business, which is being sold to conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway. If weakening sales at the McLane business had been included, overall Wal-Mart sales would have increased at a somewhat slower pace of 9.1 percent, the company reported.

In an assist to the bottom line, average gross margin widened by 20 basis points to 22.6 percent from 22.4 percent a year ago. Interest costs were whittled by 13.2 percent, to $250 million from $288 million, generating a cash savings of $38 million. Interest expense on debt was slashed by 21.5 percent, to $175 million from $223 million, offsetting a 15.4 percent increase in interest on capital leases, which rose to $75 million from $65 million.

But acting as a drag, inventories increased by 13.4 percent, to $25.9 billion, hampered by the disappointing sales.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc.