Walmart Had Solid Holiday Season, But Its Outlook Isn't So Hot

Retail behemoth Wal­mart hit all the right notes during its holiday quarter thanks to a U.S. consumer flush with savings from the gas pump and a new, better ­paying job. Although investors will have to balance the retailer's budding comeback story with a tepid earnings estimate for the new fiscal year. Let's take a look at the quarterly earnings. On Thursday, Wal­mart reported earnings of $1.61 a share that was 8 cents better than expected. Sales came in at roughly $132B - that fell short of forecasts. Wal­mart expects 2015 earnings will be between $4.70 and $5 a share - below what analysts are expecting.