WAL MART STORES INC
11-K, 1998-07-30
VARIETY STORES
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<PAGE> 1
                              
                              UNITED STATES
                   SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                         Washington, D.C.  20549
                                    
                                FORM 11-K
(Mark One)
[X]  Annual  Report Pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities  Exchange
Act of 1934
For the fiscal year ended January 31, 1998.
                                   or
[  ]  Transition  Report  Pursuant to Section  15(d)  of  the  Securities
Exchange Act of 1934
For the transition period from ______to______.

                      Commission file number 1-6991

A. Full title of the plan and the address of the plan, if different from
that of the issuer named below:

       WAL-MART PUERTO RICO, INC., 401(k) RETIREMENT SAVINGS PLAN
                                    
B.  Name  of issuer of the securities held pursuant to the plan  and  the
address of its principal executive office:

<PAGE> 2

                          WAL-MART STORES, INC.
                       702 Southwest Eighth Street
                       Bentonville, Arkansas  72716

                       Wal-Mart Puerto Rico, Inc.
                     401(k) Retirement Savings Plan

                          Financial Statements

                       Year ended January 31, 1998
 

                            TABLE OF CONTENTS
                                    
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

    Statement of Net Assets Available for Benefits--January 31, 1998

    Statement of Changes in Net Assets Available for Benefits With Fund
    Information for the Year Ended January 31, 1998

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SCHEDULES

Schedules of Assets Held for Investment Purposes and Reportable
Transactions are not presented because there were no such items.

                                   
<PAGE> 3                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                     Report of Independent Auditors

The Administrative Committee of the
 Wal-Mart Puerto Rico, Inc. 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan

We  have  audited the accompanying statement of net assets available  for
benefits of Wal-Mart Puerto Rico, Inc. 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan  as
of  January 31, 1998, and the related statement of changes in net  assets
available   for  benefits  for  the  year  then  ended.  These  financial
statements   are  the  responsibility  of  the  Plan's  management.   Our
responsibility  is  to  express an opinion on these financial  statements
based on our audit.

We  conducted  our  audit in accordance with generally accepted  auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit  to
obtain  reasonable assurance about whether the financial  statements  are
free  of  material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on  a  test
basis,  evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the  financial
statements.  An  audit also includes assessing the accounting  principles
used  and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating
the  overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our  audit
provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In  our  opinion,  the  financial statements referred  to  above  present
fairly,  in all material respects, the net assets available for  benefits
of  the  Plan  at  January 31, 1998, and the changes in  its  net  assets
available  for  benefits  for the year then  ended,  in  conformity  with
generally accepted accounting principles.


June 19, 1998
Tulsa, Oklahoma

<PAGE> 4

                       Wal-Mart Puerto Rico, Inc.
                     401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
                                    
             Statement of Net Assets Available for Benefits
                                    
                            January 31, 1998                          
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>                                                      

                                    
Assets                                              
<S>                                                <C>
Employer contribution receivable                   $598,315
Net assets available for benefits                  $598,315

</TABLE>
See accompanying notes.


<PAGE> 5
                       Wal-Mart Puerto Rico, Inc.
                     401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
                                    
        Statement of Changes in Net Assets Available for Benefits
                                    
                       Year ended January 31, 1998
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>                                                 <C>
Additions to net assets attributed to 
Company contribution                                $598,315
Net increase in net assets available for benefits    598,315
                                                    
Net assets available for benefits:                  
Beginning of year                                          -
End of year                                         $598,315

</TABLE>
See accompanying notes.

<PAGE> 6

                       Wal-Mart Puerto Rico, Inc.
                     401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
                                    
                      Notes to Financial Statements
                                    
                            January 31, 1998

1. Description of the Plan

The  following  description  of the Wal-Mart  Puerto  Rico,  Inc.  401(k)
Retirement  Savings  Plan (the "Plan") provides only general  information
regarding the Plan as in effect on January 31, 1998. This document is not
part  of  the summary plan description of the Plan and is not a  document
pursuant to which the Plan is maintained within the meaning of the Puerto
Rico  Income Tax Act of 1954 ("PRITA"), as amended, or Section  402(a)(1)
of  the  Employee  Retirement Income Security Act of 1974  ("ERISA"),  as
amended.  Participants should refer to the Plan document for  a  complete
description  of  the  Plan's provisions. To the extent  not  specifically
prohibited  by  statue or regulation, Wal-Mart Puerto Rico,  Inc.  ("Wal-
Mart" or the "Company") reserves the right to unilaterally amend, modify,
or terminate the Plan at any time, and such changes may be applied to all
Plan  participants  and  their beneficiaries regardless  of  whether  the
participant is actively working or retired at the time of the change. The
Plan may not be amended, however, to permit any part of the Plan's assets
to  be used for any purpose other than for the purpose of paying benefits
to participants and their beneficiaries.

General

The  Plan  is a defined contribution plan established by the  Company  on
February 1, 1997. All associates of the Company who are not covered by  a
plan  of  a  related company and have completed at least 1,000  hours  of
service  in a consecutive 12-month period are eligible to participate  in
the Plan. Participation may begin on the first day of the month following
eligibility. The Plan is subject to the provisions of PRITA and ERISA.

The  responsibility for operation and administration of the Plan  (except
for  investment management and control of assets) is vested in the Plan's
Administrative Committee of the Company ("Administrative Committee").

The  trustee function of the Plan is performed by Banco Popular de Puerto
Rico  ("Trustee"). The Trustee receives and holds contributions  made  to
the  Plan  in  trust  and invests those contributions  according  to  the
policies  established by the Administrative Committee. The Trustee  makes
payouts from the Plan in accordance with the Plan document.

<PAGE> 7

Contributions

All  eligible  associates  participate in  the  Plan  and  may  elect  to
contribute  from  1% to 10% of their eligible wages. Whether  or  not  an
associate  contributes to the Plan, he or she will receive a  portion  of
the Company's contribution if they meet certain eligibility requirements.
To  be  eligible  to receive a Company contribution, the  associate  must
complete  at least 1,000 hours of service during the Plan year for  which
the  contribution is made, and be employed on the last day of  that  Plan
year (January 31).

At  the  end of each Plan year, Wal-Mart's contribution (if any) will  be
determined  for  that  Plan  year. The Company's  contribution  for  each
associate will be a percentage of the associate's eligible wages for  the
Plan  year.  Wal-Mart's contribution is discretionary and can  vary  from
year  to  year. Such contributions are subject to certain limitations  in
accordance with provisions of PRITA.

Participants' Accounts

Each   participant's   account  is  credited   with   the   participant's
contribution and an allocation of (a) the Company's contribution  to  the
Plan  made on the associate's behalf, and (b) an allocation, as  defined,
of Plan earnings. The benefit to which a participant is entitled from the
Plan is dependent on the amount in the participant's vested account.  The
effective  date  on  which  participants  could  make  contributions  was
February 1, 1998.

Company  contributions to the Plan are invested in  accordance  with  the
investment elections made by each participant for deposit in his  or  her
account.

Vesting

Participants  are  immediately  vested  in  all  contributions  to  their
accounts, plus actual earnings thereon.

Payment of Benefits and Withdrawals

The  normal  form  of  payment upon a participant's separation  from  the
Company  is  a  lump-sum  payment  in  cash  for  the  balance   of   the
participant's  account. Participants may also elect to receive  a  single
lump-sum  payment  in  whole shares of Company  stock,  with  partial  or
fractional  shares paid in cash, to the extent the participant's  account
is  invested in Company stock. To the extent the participant's account is
not invested in Company stock, the account balance will automatically  be
distributed  in  cash.   Participants may also elect  to  rollover  their
account  balance  into  a  different  tax-qualified  retirement  plan  or
individual  retirement arrangement upon separation from the Company.  The

<PAGE> 8

Plan  permits withdrawals of participants' salary reduction contributions
and rollover contributions only in amounts necessary to satisfy financial
hardship, as defined by the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS").

Plan Termination

While  there  is  no intention to do so, the Company may discontinue  the
Plan  by  giving written notice, subject to the provisions of  ERISA  and
PRITA. In the event of a complete or partial termination of this Plan  or
a  complete  discontinuance of contributions to it, the accounts  of  the
participants  shall  be fully and immediately vested and  nonforfeitable.
The  Trust  shall remain in effect (unless it is specifically terminated)
and  the Trust assets shall be administered in the manner provided by the
terms of the Trust and distributed as soon as administratively feasible.

Income Tax Status

The  Plan  is  currently  in  the process of  applying  to  the  Treasury
Department  of  Puerto  Rico  for qualification  of  the  Plan.  If  such
qualification is granted, the related trust would not be subject  to  tax
under present income tax law. The Plan administrator is not aware of  any
cause  of  action  or  series of events that  have  occurred  that  might
adversely affect the Plan's qualification in accordance with PRITA.

Year 2000 Issue (unaudited)

The  Company  has  developed a plan to modify  its  internal  information
technology  to  be  ready  for the year 2000  and  has  begun  converting
critical  data processing systems. The project also includes  determining
whether  third-party service providers have reasonable plans in place  to
become year 2000 compliant. The Company currently expects the project  to
be substantially complete by early 1999. The Company does not expect this
project to have a significant effect on Plan operations.

Investment Options

Participant investment choices include five core funds, three  investment
models and Wal-Mart stock. The associate may change his or her selections
at any time throughout the year.

The five core funds are:

     Merrill  Lynch  Retirement  Preservation  Trust  (Stable  Value
     Fund)-A   common  collective  trust  that  seeks  to   preserve
     principal  by investing mainly in a wide variety of  guaranteed
     investment contracts and in obligations of U.S. government  and
     U.S. government agency securities.

<PAGE> 9
     
     PIMCO  Total Return Fund (Fixed Income Bond Fund)-A  registered
     investment company that seeks to provide income in the form  of
     interest and dividends.
     
     Merrill Lynch Equity Index Trust (Large Company Stock Fund)-  A
     common  collective trust that seeks to approximate the S&P  500
     Index  by investing in stocks of larger companies that make  up
     the S&P 500.
     
     Putnam New Opportunities Fund (Mid-Sized Company Stock Fund)- A
     registered investment company that seeks to provide  growth  by
     investing in stocks of mid-sized companies.
     
     Ivy International Fund (International Stock Fund)- A registered
     investment company that seeks to provide growth by investing in
     stocks of international companies.
     
In addition to the core funds, the Plan participant may select from three
investment  models,  which are comprised of a  combination  of  the  core
funds. The investment models are as follows:

     Conservative  to Moderate Investment Model-This  model  invests
     40% of its assets in the stock funds, 50% in the bond fund, and
     10% in the Stable Value Fund.
     
     Moderate Investment Model-This model invests 70% of its  assets
     in  the stock funds, 25% in the bond fund, and 5% in the Stable
     Value Fund.
     
     Aggressive  Investment Model- This model  invests  80%  of  its
     assets in the stock funds, 10% in the bond fund, and 10% in the
     Stable Value Fund.

2. Summary of Accounting Policies

Basis of Accounting

The  financial  statements  of the Plan are prepared  under  the  accrual
method of accounting.

The  preparation of the financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted  accounting principals requires Plan management to use estimates
and  assumptions  that affect the accompanying financial  statements  and
notes. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

<PAGE> 10
                                    
                               SIGNATURES
                                    
                                    
The Plan. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act
of  1934,  the  trustees  (or other persons who administer  the  employee
benefit  plan)  have duly caused this annual report to be signed  on  its
behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                        WAL-MART PUERTO RICO, INC.,
                        401(k) RETIREMENT SAVINGS PLAN


Date:  July 30, 1998          /s/ Debbie Davis-Campbell
                                  Debbie Davis-Campbell
                                  Administrative Committee




                                EXHIBIT 23
                      CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
                                     
We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statements
(Form  S-8  No.  333-44659) pertaining to the Wal-Mart  Puerto  Rico,  Inc.
401(k)  Retirement  Savings Plan of our report dated June  19,  1998,  with
respect  to  the financial statements and schedules of the Wal-Mart  Puerto
Rico,  Inc.  401(k) Retirement Savings Plan included in this Annual  Report
(Form 11-K) for the year ended January 31, 1998.


                                        /s/  Ernst & Young LLP
                                             Ernst & Young LLP


Tulsa, Oklahoma
July 29, 1998



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