GB540-03 Economics for Global Decision Makers – Unit5 Assignment
Dr. Barbara-Leigh Tonelli.
By
Ajeeth Pingle 4/05/2011
Wal-Mart Economic Indicators
Wal-Mart has become the world's number one retailer. Diversification into grocery (Wal-Mart Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets), international operations and membership warehouse clubs (SAM'S Clubs), has created greater opportunities for growth. But unlike some corporations, whose financial growth does not translate into more jobs, Wal-Mart's phenomenal growth has been an engine for making jobs. Wal-Mart has a history of having become a strong investment for Shareholders. The Company made its initial public offering in October of 1970, when selling 200,000 shares for $16.50 per share. If an investor had purchased 100 shares in the initial offering, those shares would have been worth more than $13 million as of January 31, 2011 and the number of shares owned by that investor would have grown to 204,800 thanks to 11 stock splits. From the beginning, Wal-Mart has created tremendous Shareholder value. The Company raised $3.3 million in its initial public-equity offering. As of April 2, 2010, the Company had grown to a market capitalization of nearly $211 billion.
According to About.com (2010), economic indicators are economic statistics that indicate how well the economy is doing and how well the economy will do in the future. Economic indicators can range from unemployment to the inflation rate. Economic indicators are not the same across the board, and will vary from industry to industry and company to company.
The national impact analysis summarizes how Wal-Mart altered the U.S. economy in terms of a