Is Walmart Still a Great Dividend Stock?

Walmart (NYSE: WMT) just closed the books on a record fiscal year, with sales and earnings both spiking during the COVID-19 pandemic. The retailer added a head-turning $35 billion to its revenue base in 2020, or about as much as TJX Companies books in a single year. Its free cash flow surged to $26 billion from $15 billion a year earlier.

Yet income investors didn't see a big benefit from those wins. Instead, Walmart last week announced a meager 2% dividend increase, or about the same boost as the chain issued a year earlier. And management signaled several years of heavy spending ahead that might pressure the payout.

With that mixed forecast in mind, let's look at whether Walmart is still an industry-leading dividend stock.

Source Fool.com