Walmart Expects Continued Growth as John Furner Takes Over

Shoppers looking to stretch their paychecks continue to turn to Walmart, and the company said it expects to maintain the solid pace of sales growth it achieved last year. Executives issued a cautious profit forecast as an uncertain U.S. economy, trade tensions and a fragile job market weigh on the outlook.

"We believe it’s prudent to start the year with a level of conservatism, given the backdrop is still somewhat unstable," said John David Rainey, the chief financial officer. John Furner took over as chief executive this month. Walmart reported sales up 5.6 percent, to $190.7 billion, in its most recent quarter, driven by momentum in both the United States and abroad.

The company said growth at its U.S.

United States

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