Investors often see Walmart (WMT) as a bellwether for the U.S. consumer and how they are feeling. That’s because the company, which generated $648 billion in revenue last year, is the country’s biggest brick-and-mortar retailer by sales, with 140 million weekly customers. In recent weeks, investors have tried to make sense of murky data on the state of the U.S. economy and consumers. Americans are pulling back on travel and deferring big home renovations. Instead, consumers seem to be prioritizing essentials like groceries, which has given Walmart’s business a boost. Let’s take a closer look. …