<p>Last week, Walmart held its 20th Annual Meeting for the Investment Community in which President and CEO Mike Duke said that the company is focused on near-term execution to grow comp sales in Walmart U.S., improve returns in Walmart International and leverage expenses for the full year, according to a press release. In addition, Duke said that the company is making substantial or, in some cases, even “step-change” progress in key areas, including leverage initiatives, capital discipline, e-commerce, compliance, talent recruitment, and corporate responsibility.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> “We have delivered consistent growth and returns to shareholders for many years, and we will continue to do so,” said Duke.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> As the company prioritizes growing comp sales at Walmart U.S., Duke says that consumers will see new merchandise, aggressive investments in price through lots of rollbacks, and better in-stock levels.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> In terms of Walmart International, the division recently assessed its portfolio and made important strategic decisions on current operations. “These actions, combined with capital discipline and e-commerce investments, will deliver a solid framework for future growth and improved returns,” added Duke.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> Duke then turned to a company-wide goal he set at the annual investors’ meeting two years ago: reducing operating expenses as a percentage of sales by at least 100 basis points over five years. “We made progress on that goal last year, and our goal is to deliver leverage again for this fiscal year.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> As the company reflects on its substantial progress in key long-term areas, Duke states that Walmart has made major investments in compliance over the past year, saying its focus has been on better processes and procedures, increased training for associates, and strengthening organizational leadership.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://stock.walmart.com" target="_new"> Walmart </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
