If you’re checking the walmart stock price today per share, you’re probably seeing a number that looks a little "top-heavy" for a grocery store. As of January 18, 2026, Walmart (WMT) is sitting around $119.82, coming off a Friday close where it teased those all-time highs again. It's wild. People used to think of Walmart as this slow-moving behemoth that just sold cheap milk and tires. Now? The market is pricing it like a tech company.
Honestly, the "today" price is only half the story. The real buzz right now isn't just the dollar amount; it's the fact that in about 48 hours—Tuesday morning, January 20—Walmart officially joins the Nasdaq-100. This is a massive vibe shift. Leaving the old-school prestige of the NYSE's traditional circles to sit next to Apple and Nvidia says everything about where Doug McMillon is taking this ship.
Why the Walmart stock price today per share is breaking records
You've gotta look at the momentum. Over the last six months, the stock has rallied about 26%. That’s not normal for a retail giant. While Target has been struggling with its "want-based" model and high-end discretionary spend, Walmart has basically become the fortress of "need." When inflation hurts, people don't stop eating; they just stop buying $14 artisanal cheese and start buying Great Value bread.
The Nasdaq-100 Factor
Passive funds are currently scrambling. When a stock joins a major index like the Nasdaq-100, every ETF that tracks that index has to buy shares. We saw the price tick up nearly 5% just in the last few trading sessions as the news settled in. It’s replacing AstraZeneca (AZN), which is a poetic move if you think about it—the world’s biggest retailer replacing a big pharma player in the "tech-heavy" index.
High Valuations and the "Tech" Multiple
Walmart is currently trading at a forward P/E ratio of roughly 39x to 41x. For context, that’s double what you’d usually see for a supermarket chain. Why are investors paying such a premium?
- Agentic AI: They aren't just using chatbots. Walmart is rolling out "autonomous assistants" that predict when you're out of laundry detergent before you even realize it.
- Advertising Goldmine: Walmart Connect (their ad business) is growing at a clip of 30%+. They’re using their store data to sell ads to brands, which is way higher margin than selling a box of cereal.
- Supply Chain Automation: By mid-this year, they want 60% of stores serviced by automated centers. That's a lot of saved labor costs.
Is WMT actually overvalued right now?
Some analysts, like the folks over at InvestingPro, are starting to sweat. They’ve labeled the stock as potentially overvalued at these $120-ish levels. And you can see why. When a retail stock hits a 40x multiple, it has to keep delivering "perfect" quarters. Any slight miss in e-commerce growth (which has been hovering around 25% lately) could trigger a nasty correction.
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We also saw some insider selling recently. Donna Morris, an EVP at the company, sold over $1.1 million worth of shares on January 14 at about $120.19. Now, insiders sell for all kinds of reasons—taxes, buying a new house, diversifying—but seeing a dump at the 52-week high usually makes retail investors a bit jumpy.
What to watch for in the February earnings call
Walmart is scheduled to report its next batch of earnings on February 19, 2026. This will be the "holiday quarter" (Fiscal Q4), and expectations are high. Analysts are looking for an EPS of about $0.73.
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If they beat that, especially in the international segment (keep an eye on Sam's Club China and India’s Flipkart), the price could easily clear that $125 median target many banks have set. But if the "flight to value" slows down because the economy is cooling too much, that $119 price point might start to look like a ceiling.
Actionable Insights for Investors
If you're looking at the walmart stock price today per share and wondering whether to jump in or bail out, consider these specific factors:
- The Index Bump: Expect some volatility this week as the Nasdaq-100 inclusion goes live. Passive buying often creates a "peak" that settles down after a few days.
- Dividend Reliability: Even at these prices, Walmart is a Dividend King. They’ve increased payouts for 53 straight years. The current yield is low (about 0.79%), but the safety is basically unmatched in the retail world.
- Monitor the "Sparky" Rollout: The more people use their AI shopping assistant, the more data Walmart gets, and the more valuable their advertising business becomes. That's the real engine behind the stock price today.
Don't just watch the ticker. Watch the margins. If Walmart can keep turning a grocery business into a data and advertising business, this $120 level might just be the new floor rather than the ceiling.
Check your brokerage app for the live pre-market movement on Monday morning to see if the Nasdaq anticipation is still driving the volume before the official transition on Tuesday.