Should You Buy Walmart Stock Before Nov. 19? History Has a Clear Answer.

Walmart stock is trading at an expensive P/E ratio of 45 ahead of its Nov. 19 earnings report. While the company showed strong total sales growth of 5.9% and operating income growth of 29%, U.S. comparable sales growth was underwhelming at 2.6%, and management warned of potential slowdown due to inflation pressures. Historical analysis suggests there's no rush to buy before the earnings report, though long-term investors can buy at any time.