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Econometric Analysis
Wal-Mart Stores
Rohan S. Patil
2/16/2008
Wal-Mart Sales Econometric Analysis MSF 562
Abstract
This report contains a description of econometric analyses of net monthly sales of Wal-
Mart Stores, Inc. The analyses are focused on:
I begin with the description of the business of Wal-Mart and their various internal
segments. In part II, I will explain all the macro-economic indicators and their intuitive
effects on the net sales of a company in the retail segment.
Part III explains the initial stages of the analyses wherein I shall de-trend the time-series
data and then remove the seasonality effects.
Part IV discusses the construction of the econometric model and tests of significance.
The advanced analysis is presented in part V wherein the model will be tested for
possible autocorrelation and heteroskedasticity.
In part VI, the concluding remarks, I shall elaborate on the pattern in the monthly net
sales of Wal-Mart as explained by all the significant independent variables. I have
appended an appendix at the very end of the report which supports the analyses with
graphs, tables and also shows all the important statistics.
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Wal-Mart Sales Econometric Analysis MSF 562
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Wal-Mart Sales Econometric Analysis MSF 562
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Wal-Mart Sales Econometric Analysis MSF 562
Following is the list of all the variables with their names and short-forms:
Independent Variables.*
Short-
Form Name
1 x1 Consumer Sentiment Index
2 x2 CPI- All
3 x3 CPI – All but food
4 x4 CPI- All but food energy
5 x5 CPI- All but energy
6 x6 CPI for food only
7 x7 Consumer(individual) loans-non-revolvingOutstanding
8 x8 Consumer credit( revolving) Outstanding
9 x9 Unemployment
10 x10 PPI- Finished Consumer Goods
11 x11 PPI- Fuels and Power
12 x12 PPI- Finished Consumer Foods
13 x13 Motor Gasoline Retail Prices, U.S. City Average
14 x14 Disposable Income
15 dummy1 Number of weeks ( 1 = 5 weeks, 0 = 4 weeks)
16 dummy2 December sales
17 dummy3 November sales
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Wal-Mart Sales Econometric Analysis MSF 562
1. ŷ is the predicted value of y by the equation. y is log (sales) after de-trending and y is after
de-seasonality.
* Refer the appendix for the plot.
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Wal-Mart Sales Econometric Analysis MSF 562
Proceeding with the analysis of the data, we check all probable independent variables
for a possible co-linearity. In case two variables are found to be highly collinear then
one of them is rejected.
After calculating the correlation between the independent variables I found the
following:
1. Variables x2 and x3 are almost the same.
2. Variable x2 is highly correlated with variables x10, x11 and x13.
3. Variable x4 is highly correlated with variable x5.
4. Variable x12 is highly correlated with variable x6.
5. Variables x10 and x13 are also correlated.
*Refer appendix for the entire correlation matrix.
Thus we reject variables x3, x4, x5, x10, x11 and x13.
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Wal-Mart Sales Econometric Analysis MSF 562
log(sales)
After removing the seasonality
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
-0.05
-0.1
-0.15
-0.2
-0.25
There is a definite change in the slope of this graph after about 70 samples. The most
interesting thing here is sample 69 represents the month of September 2001. Thus, I
selected this point as my crossover point and performed a piece-wise linear
regression by including a binary variable as well as its interaction terms with all the
independent variables.
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Wal-Mart Sales Econometric Analysis MSF 562
Variable β t-Stat
1 x6 -0.01252 -1.65666
2 x7 -0.00145 -3.45889
3 x8 0.00109 2.988242
4 x9 -0.02523 -1.43381
5 dummy*x7 -0.00024756 -1.77712
6 dummy*x12 2.27462E-06 2.2746675
* Refer appendix for further details.
Then, I ran the regression with only significant factors included in the model.
Variable β t-Stat
1 x7 -0.0011185 -3.95484
2 x8 0.001177037 4.170627
3 x9 -0.04566579 -3.17542
4 dummy*x7 -0.00018785 -2.26428
5 dummy* x12 9.86155E-07 1.895653
We get an adjusted R2 of 22. 18 %.
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Wal-Mart Sales Econometric Analysis MSF 562
Breusch-Pagan test:
The joint significant of all the β’s is 1.145223. Thus, we fail to reject the null
hypothesis.
Breusch- Pagan test does not indicate presence of heteroskedasticity. Thus, in order to
further analyze the relationship of u with x’s I performed the White Test.
White Test:
The joint significant of all the β’s is 1.213656. Thus, we fail to reject the null
hypothesis.Thus, after both these tests fail to identify I assumed that the
heteroskedasticity is absent.
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Wal-Mart Sales Econometric Analysis MSF 562
Now we shall test for the auto correlation in these residuals by running the following
regression:
ut 0 1ut 1 v …Reg.7
Null hypothesis:
H0 : β1 = 0 … i [1, ]
Alternate Hypothesis:
H1 : βi ≠ 0 … i [1, ]
ut -0.00056 0.038965ut 1 v
(0.0039) (0.0836)
n = 140, R 2 = -0.558 %
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Wal-Mart Sales Econometric Analysis MSF 562
n= 142, R 2 = 22.134%
Interpretation of betas:
It is interesting to note that the effect of revolving credit is exactly opposite. When the
revolving credit goes up, ceteris paribus, the sales also go up. Most of the people do
pay by credit card and thus defer the payment by some time. If the revolving credit is
going down, that means people are struggling to pay their last months credit. Thus,
the sales for that particular month would be low.
* log (sales)-d-s is the log(sales) after de-trending and removing the seasonality.
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Wal-Mart Sales Econometric Analysis MSF 562
Unemployment rate has a negative impact on the net sales. This makes sense because
the unemployment rate is low when the economy as a whole is doing good and it
increases during recessions. Thus intuitively the sign of this beta should be negative.
One more interesting thing to note is, post- September, 2001 the Producer’s Price
Index for finished consumer food is significant.
After analyzing the net sales of Wal-Mart I found the following factors to be
significant: 1. Consumer Loans (revolving and non-revolving credit)
2. Unemployment
3. Producer’s Price Index
With the help of these parameters, my econometric model could explain 22% of the
variations in the net-sales of Wal-Mart.
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Wal-Mart Sales Econometric Analysis MSF 562
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
-0.05
-0.1
-0.15
-0.2
This pattern needs further attention. In my opinion it would not be appropriate to use
piecewise linear regression four times on this graph.
Also, I have not considered the impact of the foreign exchange rate on the net sales.
In order to do that, one needs to analyze their operations in foreign markets in detail.
The data regarding this was not available to me.
Also, the store has a strategy of reducing there Wal-Mart stores and increasing the
number of Supercenters over last 10 years. The reasons behind this trend are
unknown. It is clear that this has a significant impact on the sales.
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Wal-Mart Sales Econometric Analysis MSF 562
VIII. Appendix:
Part II.
Following table shows the sources of data used in the econometric model:
Name Source
Consumer Sentiment Index Survey Research Center: University of Michigan*
CPI- All U.S. Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics*
CPI – All but food U.S. Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics*
CPI- All but food energy U.S. Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics*
CPI- All but energy U.S. Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics*
CPI for food only U.S. Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics*
Consumer(individual) loans-non-revolving Outstanding Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System1
Consumer credit( revolving) Outstanding Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System1
Unemployment U.S. Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics*
PPI- Finished Consumer Goods U.S. Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics*
PPI- Fuels and Power U.S. Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics*
PPI- Finished Consumer Foods U.S. Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics*
Motor Gasoline Retail Prices Energy Info. Administration**
Disposable Income Bureau of Economic Analysis
Net Sales of Wal-Mart www.walmartfacts.com
Part III:
Regression 1
Summary Output for regression 1:
Regression Statistics
Multiple R 0.9163
R Square 0.8396
Adjusted R Square 0.8384
Standard Error 0.1824
Observations 143.0000
ANOVA
df SS MS
Regression 1.0000 24.5447 24.5447
Residual 141.0000 4.6907 0.0333
Total 142.0000 29.2354
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Wal-Mart Sales Econometric Analysis MSF 562
Following chart shows the residuals of the above equation plotted against time:
De-trending of log(sales)
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
-0.1
-0.2
-0.3
-0.4
Regression Statistics
Multiple R 0.9091
R Square 0.8264
Adjusted R Square 0.8227
Standard Error 0.0765
Observations 143.0000
ANOVA
df SS MS F
Regression 3.0000 3.8765 1.2922 220.6083
Residual 139.0000 0.8142 0.0059
Total 142.0000 4.6907
Standard
Coefficients Error t Stat P-value
-
Intercept -0.1146 0.0084 13.6362 0.0000
X Variable 1 0.2281 0.0153 14.9359 0.0000
X Variable 2 0.3263 0.0255 12.7890 0.0000
X Variable 3 0.1263 0.0236 5.3450 0.0000
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Wal-Mart Sales Econometric Analysis MSF 562
Following chart shows the residuals of the above equation plotted against time:
log(sales)
After removing the seasonality
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
-0.05
-0.1
-0.15
-0.2
-0.25
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Wal-Mart Sales Econometric Analysis MSF 562
Part IV:
Regression 3
Regression Statistics
Multiple R 0.55637629
R Square 0.30955458
Adjusted R
Square 0.22187897
Standard Error 0.04871806
Observations 143
ANOVA
Significance
df SS MS F F
Regression 16 0.134078 0.00838 3.530681 3.12103E-05
Residual 126 0.299055 0.002373
Total 142 0.433133
Standard
Coefficients Error t Stat P-value
Intercept 0.12715894 0.086435 1.471144 0.143745
X Variable 1 0.00017445 0.001213 0.14376 0.88592
X Variable 2 0.01051257 0.007505 1.400746 0.163748
-
X Variable 3 0.01251542 0.007555 -1.65666 0.100076
-
X Variable 4 0.00144774 0.000419 -3.45889 0.000741
X Variable 5 0.00108883 0.000364 2.988242 0.003374
X Variable 6 -0.0252253 0.017593 -1.43381 0.154105
X Variable 7 0.00172228 0.003178 0.541975 0.588793
X Variable 8 8.1943E-05 8.25E-05 0.993048 0.32259
X Variable 9 0.00218985 0.00184 1.190241 0.23619
-
X Variable 10 0.00136803 0.001372 -0.99728 0.320541
-
X Variable 11 0.00132252 0.001343 -0.98508 0.326474
-
X Variable 12 0.00024756 0.000139 -1.77712 0.077961
X Variable 13 9.2486E-05 7.89E-05 1.172521 0.2432
-1.7361E-
X Variable 14 05 1.49E-05 -1.1655 0.246019
X Variable 15 2.2746E-06 1E-06 2.274668 0.024616
X Variable 16 1.7078E-08 1.23E-08 1.385531 0.168338
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Wal-Mart Sales Econometric Analysis MSF 562
Regression 4
Following is the summary output of the regression 4.
Regression Statistics
Multiple R 0.520120024
R Square 0.270524839
Adjusted R
Square 0.226974083
Standard Error 0.048558299
Observations 143
ANOVA
Significance
df SS MS F F
0.01464 6.21171397 8.11294E-
Regression 8 0.117173219 7 7 07
0.00235
Residual 134 0.31595972 8
Total 142 0.433132939
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Wal-Mart Sales Econometric Analysis MSF 562
Part V:
Breusch-Pagan test:
Regression Statistics
Multiple R 0.252974374
R Square 0.063996034
Adjusted R
Square 0.0081152
Standard Error 0.004096669
Observations 143
ANOVA
Significance
df SS MS F F
Regression 8 0.00015376 1.92199E-05 1.145223322 0.337404081
Residual 134 0.002248882 1.67827E-05
Total 142 0.002402641
Standard
Coefficients Error t Stat P-value
Intercept 0.008096904 0.006016173 1.345856368 0.180621491
- -
X Variable 1 0.000369668 0.000478247 0.772965274 0.440904263
- -
X Variable 2 0.000216165 0.000423272 0.510699851 0.610401571
-7.11742E- -
X Variable 3 07 2.38602E-05 0.029829667 0.976247281
X Variable 4 0 2.38098E-05 0 1
- -
X Variable 5 0.001188953 0.001213268 0.979959067 0.328872274
X Variable 6 0 6.99936E-06 0 1
X Variable 7 0 4.38888E-08 0 1
X Variable 8 0 7.27808E-10 0 1
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Wal-Mart Sales Econometric Analysis MSF 562
White Test:
Regression Statistics
Multiple R 0.039348536
R Square 0.001548307
Adjusted R Square -0.00558349
Standard Error 0.04699267
Observations 142
ANOVA
Significance
df SS MS F F
Regression 1 0.000479422 0.000479422 0.21709916 0.641983254
Residual 140 0.309163549 0.002208311
Total 141 0.309642972
Standard
Coefficients Error t Stat P-value
- -
Intercept 0.000561449 0.003943545 0.142371653 0.88699114
X Variable 1 0.038964542 0.083625843 0.465939009 0.641983254
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Wal-Mart Sales Econometric Analysis MSF 562
References:
1. Wooldridge J. M. , (2006), Introductory Econometrics –3rd Edition
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