Honestly, if you looked at Walmart a decade ago, you probably saw a slow-moving dinosaur trying not to get eaten by Amazon. Fast forward to 2026, and the script has flipped. The share value of walmart isn't just about selling boxes of cereal anymore. It’s a tech story. It’s an AI story. And lately, it’s a story about a company that somehow managed to turn its massive physical footprint into its biggest digital advantage.
Just look at the numbers. As of mid-January 2026, Walmart (WMT) is trading near all-time highs, hovering around the $120 mark. That might sound modest if you remember the $170+ prices from a couple of years ago, but don't let that fool you. The company executed a massive 3-for-1 stock split in February 2024. Basically, they tripled the number of shares to make them more "accessible" to regular folks and their own employees. If you account for that split, the stock is effectively performing at levels that would have seemed impossible during the "retail apocalypse" era.
Why the Share Value of Walmart Keeps Breaking Records
It’s not just about selling cheap stuff. The market is finally rewarding Walmart for things that happen behind the shelves. Have you heard about Walmart Connect? Most people haven't, but it’s their secret weapon. It’s an advertising business. Think about it: Walmart has data on what almost every household in America buys. Brands are now paying billions to get their products in front of those shoppers on Walmart’s website and in-store screens.
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In late 2025, Walmart reported that its global advertising business grew by a staggering 53%. That is high-margin revenue. Unlike selling a gallon of milk, where the profit might be pennies, advertising is mostly profit. This shift in the "profit mix" is why analysts like TD Cowen recently named Walmart their "Best Idea for 2026" with price targets reaching as high as $136.
The Tech Pivot and the Nasdaq-100 Move
Here is something wild: Walmart just moved its listing to the Nasdaq. For decades, it was the "Old Guard" of the New York Stock Exchange. Moving to the Nasdaq—and being added to the Nasdaq-100 in January 2026—is a symbolic middle finger to anyone who still thinks they are just a brick-and-mortar shop. They are being valued like a tech company because they’re acting like one.
- They’ve partnered with Alphabet (Google) to integrate Gemini AI into their shopping app.
- Their drone delivery service, Wing, is scaling faster than anyone expected.
- Over 93% of U.S. households can now get same-day delivery from a local store.
This "omnichannel" approach is working. In the third quarter of fiscal 2026 (which ended in late 2025), U.S. e-commerce sales jumped 28%. That's not just growth; that's taking lunch money from competitors.
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The Dividend King Status
If you’re a "buy and hold" investor, you probably care about the dividend. Walmart has increased its payout for 51 consecutive years. That is a lot of staying power. Currently, the annual dividend sits at about $0.94 per share. Is the yield high? Not really—it’s around 0.80%. But in this market, people aren't buying Walmart for the yield; they’re buying it for the safety and the share buybacks.
In 2025 alone, the company repurchased about $4.5 billion of its own stock. When a company buys back its shares, it makes the remaining shares more valuable. It’s a classic move to support the share value of walmart even when the broader economy feels a bit shaky.
What Could Go Wrong?
No investment is a "sure thing," obviously. Walmart is trading at a P/E ratio of roughly 40. That’s expensive for a retailer. For comparison, Target usually trades at a much lower multiple. If Walmart misses an earnings target or if consumer spending hits a brick wall, that high valuation could lead to a sharp pullback. Some analysts, like those at StockScan, have even warned about potential declines toward 2027 if the "AI hype" doesn't translate into even higher margins.
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But right now? The momentum is firmly with the "Spark."
Actionable Insights for Investors
If you are looking at the share value of walmart as a potential addition to your portfolio, here is the "real talk" on how to approach it:
- Watch the $108 - $111 Support Level: If the stock catches a bit of a "January chill" and pulls back, this range has historically been a strong floor where buyers step back in.
- Focus on E-commerce Profitability: The big milestone in early 2026 was Walmart's U.S. digital business finally becoming profitable. As long as this trend continues, the stock has "room to run."
- Don't Ignore the "Other" Revenue: Keep a close eye on "Membership and Other Income." This includes Sam’s Club memberships and Walmart+. High-margin, recurring revenue is the "holy grail" for stock valuations.
- The Split Factor: Remember that the 2024 split changed the "look" of the stock. Don't compare a $120 price today to a $150 price from 2023 without doing the math (that $120 today would be $360 pre-split).
The bottom line is that Walmart has successfully transitioned from a company that was being "disrupted" to the one doing the "disrupting." Between their AI-driven shopping assistants and their massive automated fulfillment centers, they are becoming an efficient, high-tech machine. Whether you're a retail investor or just a shopper, it’s hard to ignore how much they’ve changed the game.
To get started with tracking these shifts, set up a price alert for the $115 level to catch potential dips, and keep an eye on the Q4 2025 earnings report (usually released in February) to see if the holiday e-commerce numbers beat the 28% growth benchmark.