Walmart's capitalization exceeded $1 trillion for the first time
The largest US retailer is 2.5 times cheaper than the main marketplace - Amazon
Walmart stock has doubled in value over the past two years / Photo: Shutterstock.com/Sundry Photography
The market capitalization of the largest U.S. retail chain Walmart for the first time exceeded $1 trillion, reported the Financial Times. Walmart shares set a new record, rising to $126 in trading on February 3. This is 1.6% more than the closing price a day earlier.
Walmart has hit a historic high in a rally that has more than doubled its share price and outpaced the S&P 500 broad market index, the FT writes. Walmart is now worth twice as much as US hypermarket chains Costco and Home Depot, but is still far behind Amazon - the largest e-commerce company with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 trillion.
What's going on in the company
The company saw a change in leadership this week, with John Ferner taking over as CEO, succeeding Doug McMillon, effective Feb. 1. Under McMillon, who took over the company in 2014, during a period of major expansion and technological transformation, Walmart invested tens of billions of dollars in the development of online business, which today has become a full-fledged competitor to Amazon, the FT notes.
The growth of the stock was noticeably accelerated by Walmart's investments in artificial intelligence, draws attention of Bloomberg. Walmart is integrating AI into all of its operations and using the technology to speed up processes - from scheduling to supply chain management.
In 2026, the company announced a partnership with Alphabet to offer AI-enabled shopping on Google's Gemini platform, and in October 2025, it reached a deal with OpenAI, allowing customers to browse and buy products via ChatGPT. In January, the retailer entered the Nasdaq 100 index, underscoring investor interest in its technology ambitions.
What analysts advise
"Walmart has gone through a massive digital transformation over the past few years," Accuvest Global Advisors Chief Investment Officer Eric Clark said in a Bloomberg story. - The company has moved away from the model of a purely traditional offline retailer and has begun to actively use technology to increase customer engagement."
Walmart shares are now worth 13% more than they were at the start of 2026. Analysts almost unanimously advise buying the securities: they have 33 Buy ratings and eight Overweight ratings out of 45 total, MarketWatch shows. Another two advise holding (Hold) and two advise selling (Sell and Underweight).
This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor
