BUZZ-Shares in Walmart's Mexico unit tumble after underwhelming Q4 results

Shares in Walmex WALMEX.MX slide 5% to 55.53 pesos ($2.73) each around mid-day after posting fourth-quarter results

Walmart's Mexico and Central America unit posted a 1.4% bump in its fourth-quarter net profit on Thursday, slightly below analysts' forecasts

The retailer also reported a 15% jump in its expenses compared to the same period in 2023

JPMorgan downgrades Walmart Mexico to "neutral," from "overweight," as the "results brought some small disappointments"

JPMorgan analysts specifically mention challenging traffic in Mexico and stronger-than-expected expense pressures

Walmex Chief Financial Officer, Paulo Garcia, tells analysts in an earnings call that the company expects operating expenses to grow by single digits in 2025

Shares in Walmex are the biggest losers on Mexico's benchmark index .MXX, which is up 0.1%

($1 = 20.3194 Mexican pesos)