We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Discount Retailer Stocks to Buy. In this article, we will look at where Walmart Inc. (WMT) stands against other discount retailer stocks to buy.

Overview of the Discount Retail Sector

With half a decade of geopolitical chaos, recession in Europe, and above-target inflation, the US economy has remained resilient. The primary reason behind this is the American consumer: their spending makes up around 70% of the country’s gross domestic product. However, recent calculations have been showing a decline in amount of money Americans are spending.

A recent survey by accounting firm KPMG corroborated this pattern, finding that while people were optimistic about their economic standing, they harbored doubts and skepticism about the direction the US economy is headed. The survey also found that nearly 65% of participants expected to do more discount shopping this year. Around 60% of this number made $200,000 or more. In addition, around 14% said that they were planning to use buy now, pay later services.

Brian Moynihan, CEO of Bank of America, said that he also noticed a slowing in purchase rates of his customers. Consumer payments grew by 3.5% since last year, down from a 10% growth from the year before. This included measurement through checks, credit cards, and ATM withdrawals.

The discount retail industry in the US thus holds a promising outlook. This positive outlook is fueled by technological advancements, changing consumer preferences, and strategic adjustments. Shoppers across the retail industry are prioritizing value over everything else, including cheap prices. This is why retailers like Dollar Tree Inc. are struggling, while business in stores like Target and Walmart is booming. A similar trend is also taking place in other industries, with companies like Applebee undergoing increasing sales while consumer sentiments about giants like McDonald’s are showing signs of waning.

The Consumer Goods and Retail Outlook 2024 report by Economic Intelligence forecasts global retail sales to grow by 6.7% in dollar terms in 2024. While 85% of these sales are expected to stem from brick-and-mortar stores, 2024 is expected to be the strongest growth year for offline retail after 2021. Inflation is also easing in 2024, but that does not seem to affect increasing consumer preference for lower prices, prioritization of basic life goods, and an unwillingness to pay hefty delivery fees. These factors are likely to drive consumers on a bargain-hunt to discount retailers.

The discount retail industry is one of the most resilient sectors in the face of economic unpredictability, strengthened by its ability to offer affordable services and goods. Product discount campaigns are emerging across the country, showing positive development trends and becoming some of the hottest topics in retail. Effective inventory management, better pricing, and operational initiatives are likely to boost sales in discount retail companies, provided they offer the one thing customers are increasingly looking for: value.

The US led the largest market for discount store retail across the globe in 2023, amassing $128 billion in sales. According to data reported by The Wall Street Journal, average consumer spending on grocery items at discount retailers increased 71% between October 2021 and June 2022. In addition, consumer patterns are also showing an increased inclination towards e-commerce, which is pushing companies to solidify their digital presence. Successful retailers are endeavoring to meet their customers both in-store and online, which is why 9 out of the top 10 e-commerce websites are run by retailers with brick-and-mortar stores.

Similar trends are appearing across the world, with discount stores rising to a prominent industry standing over the past years in the US, Europe, and Japan. Zhang Qiang, founder and CEO of Hitgoo, a discount retail chain, said that the next decade in China is likely to be marked by discount store expansion. Since the discount store model focuses on food and daily use merchandise, it can be successful in both the domestic and international market, presenting new opportunities.

Our Methodology

We used the Finviz stock screener to identify stocks in the discount retailers business. We then shortlisted the stocks that were the most widely held by hedge funds, as of Q2 2024. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds that have stakes in them.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

 Walmart Inc (NYSE:WMT)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 95

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of discount department stores, grocery stores, and hypermarkets in the United States and 23 countries. It has over 10,500 stores worldwide and employed around 2.1 million associates globally at the end of FY2024. 1.6 million of these associates were concentrated in the US.

Despite other retailers experiencing reduced consumer interaction and growth, Walmart (NYSE:WMT) is experiencing a strong consumer overall. Its latest earnings show increasing market share, with higher unit volume and transaction counts across the US. General merchandise, food, and health and wellness sectors continue to improve. The company claims that since consumers across all income levels look for one thing, value, its US marketplace sales grew by 32% for the quarter.

Walmart’s (NYSE:WMT) widespread presence, wide assortment of items, and convenience give it a competitive advantage in the industry. Customers have a lot to choose from, and a large number of stores to go to. In addition, it is improving its pickup and delivery services, offering even more convenience and increasing its e-commerce sales by 21% overall. Membership income for the company also grew by 23% globally.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) is also working to streamline its operations in the long run. It is automating its supply chain and working towards tangible ways to leverage generative AI to enhance its customer, member, and associate experience. For reference, it integrated generative AI to improve its product catalog, which affects everything from helping customers find and purchase their items of choice to delivering orders and storing inventory.

Walmart’s (NYSE:WMT) sheer size also strengthens its industry presence. To put its size into perspective, Walmart (NYSE:WMT) operates around 10,600 stores around the world, with more than 50% of them located outside the United States in 23 other countries. Target (NYSE:TGT), in contrast, has around 2,000 stores, while Kroger (NYSE:KR) has 2,750. Walmart (NYSE:WMT) is also attempting to expand its customer base and appeal to the higher-income class by introducing high-end brands, such as premium wines and Chaps and Reebok in the apparel lines.

As of Q2 2024, 95 hedge funds held stakes worth 9.19 billion in the stock. It sports a consensus Buy rating from analysts, with its median price target presenting an upside of 4.88% from current levels.

WMT ranks first among the 10 best discount retailer stocks to buy. While we acknowledge the potential of WMT as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than the stocks that are mentioned on our list but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey.