Up until earlier Wednesday morning, bullish investors had every reason for fueled optimism. Yesterday, big-box retailing giantWalmart Inc(NYSE:WMT) delivered strong third-quarter results, posting adjusted earnings per share of 58 cents. This easily eclipsed analysts' consensus view of 53 cents. In addition, revenue hit $169.59 billion, up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis or up 6.2% on a constant-currency basis. This print also beat analysts' estimate of $167.72 billion.
Notably, as Benzinga editor Lekha Gupta pointed out, "Global eCommerce sales rose 27%, driven by store-fulfilled pickup and delivery as well as marketplace growth. Global advertising business grew 28%, including 26% for Walmart...