WALMART INC (WMT)       143.3  +1.09 (+0.77%)

Walmart is rolling out the sleeker look as it attracts higher-income households with lower-priced groceries.

The average yield of these stocks could pay $479 in annual income on a $10,000 investment.

Walmart Inc's first chief economist, John List, said on Friday he is optimistic about the U.S. economy this year, citing the strength of the job market compared to previous economic downturns. "When you look at the current labor market, it looks very different from what we have in most recessions," List told a business event. He noted current underemployment and wage growth trends that showed positive contrasts to periods such as the COVID-19-fuelled recession and the financial recession of 2008/09.

Walmart said it would adjust working hours for its U.S. pharmacy team and implement it nationwide, with drugstore operator CVS Health Corp doing the same.

The United States has been experiencing a nationwide labor shortage since the COVID-19 pandemic which has forced retailers to offer attractive incentives and pay increases. Walgreens Boots Alliance and CVS each raised their minimum wage to $15 per hour in 2021 while Walmart said last year it would increase the average pay of pharmacy workers to more than $20 per hour. Earlier on Friday, the Wall Street Journal first reported CVS Health Corp and Walmart were cutting pharmacy hours.

Walmart Inc said on Friday it would adjust working hours for its U.S. pharmacy team and implement it nationwide in 4,600 locations, with drugstore operator CVS Health Corp doing the same for about two-thirds of its retail pharmacies, amid a tight labor market.