Every company has a chart that defines it.
The chart for Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), for instance, would show iPhone sales -- their trend or the evolving share of revenue they account for. After all, the iPhone has made Apple the most valuable company in the world.
That's what a defining chart is. It reflects the core or unique quality most responsible for a company's success.
Few are more striking than Walmart's (NYSE: WMT)defining chart. It compares the annual revenue of Walmart to other large companies -- say, those on the Standard &Poor's 500 index, which tracks the leading companies in the United States.
Despite the enormous size of these other companies, most of which have higher market caps than Walmart, their annual revenuepales in comparison to the Arkansas-based retailer's.
Walmart's revenue over the last 12 months adds up to $486 billion. That's more than twice Apple's total revenue -- which, not to belabor the point, is the most valuable company in America.
It's this stark contrast between sales and value that reflects Walmart's core business model: Selling lots of stuff at everyday low prices.
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