February was a bitterly cold month for Inside Value selection Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT). The king of retail has been performing more like a peasant of late, and that trend continued last month, as the company reported minuscule growth in its comps.

Wal-Mart reported a 0.9% gain in same-store sales -- sales at stores open more than a year -- during February. Its Wal-Mart locations managed only 0.4% growth, while its Sam's Club warehouse stores were much stronger, posting a 3.9% increase. Both businesses reported solid gains in the grocery, consumables, and pharmacy areas. The stragglers for Wal-Mart were the home and apparel areas, as well as the hardlines, which includes electronics, tools, and appliances.

I wouldn't expect the trend to reverse anytime soon. The company sees the weakness in home and apparel sales continuing through spring. Now, I'm not sure how, but Wal-Mart was able to specifically identify the poor weather as the cause for the slowdown in buyers' willingness to purchase hardline items. Apparently, competitor Target (NYSE:TGT) has locations in a bit more temperate climates because it was able to increase comps by 5.7% for the month.

Despite the slow growth and weak excuses, Wal-Mart continues to look like a bargain, in my opinion. It increased its annual dividend by 31% last week, and has showed better growth internationally. While overall sales at its Wal-Mart stores increased just 5.6% for February, its international sales climbed 18.7%. As its growth opportunities continue to shrink in the U.S. market, it will be important for the company to continue to grow outside the U.S.

While I wouldn't expect the retail giant to start reporting double-digit comps growth anytime soon, if ever, I do expect it to continue its modest growth. Though it would be better to see it get its comps growth closer to 3% or 4%, I wouldn't be too concerned if it had a few months like this one every now and then.

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At the time of publication, Fool contributor Mike Cianciolo owned shares of Wal-Mart, but no other company in this article. The Fool has a disclosure policy.