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Walmart stock has been surging this year, rising 20% to an all-time high. It recently became just the 12th company to reach $1 trillion in market cap.
Cadence Design, Booking, Devon, and many more companies also report earnings this week. We'll also see the personal consumption expenditures price index, Fed minutes, and durable goods data.
Walmart (WMT) reports Thursday, with Q4 EPS expected at $0.73 and revenue at $188.54B; same-store sales forecast to rise 4.2%. WMT aggressively integrates AI for efficiency, but valuation is seen as.
As Walmart prepares to release its quarterly earnings on February 19, 2026, investors are watching closely to assess whether the retail giant can sustain its exceptional momentum.
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A closely watched retail earnings report and some inflation data will highlight a holiday shortened trading wek.
Walmart Inc. is expected to announce its 53rd consecutive annual dividend increase in late February, with a predicted boost of 6.4–9.6%. Recent years saw WMT accelerate dividend growth, but with EPS growth slowing to ~4% in FY26, dividend growth should moderate to high single digits. Dividend growth across other long-term payers is generally moderating, with notable double-digit increases expected from Eaton and Steel Dynamics.
Walmart is quietly becoming an even more convenient place to shop. A push to enhance customer satisfaction via faster delivery, better product availability, and greater use of AI could fuel its next decade of growth.
Dividend stocks and defensive sectors have dramatically outperformed as investors flee AI-vulnerable and AI-spending industries, but valuations now appear stretched. Consumer staples and energy sectors trade at historically high forward P/E multiples, often exceeding the S&P 500, despite lower long-term earnings growth prospects. Materials and industrials have also become extended, with valuations reflecting significant future earnings already priced in, especially given AI infrastructure spending.
Listen on the go! A daily podcast of Wall Street Breakfast will be available by 8:00 a.m.
Walmart is rated a long-term 'Buy', supported by resilient cash flows, omnichannel execution, and defensive market positioning. Leadership transition to John Furner ensures strategic continuity and reduces execution risk, reinforcing WMT's durability as a compounder. WMT trades at a premium to peers, justified by its scale, brand strength, and stable margin outlook despite a low-growth retail environment.
Assetmark Inc. increased its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ: WMT) by 7.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 328,072 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 22,332 shares during the quarter. Assetmark Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were
Walmart WMT shares have been standout performers this year, handily outperforming not just the broader market indexes and brick-and-mortar retail peers but also Amazon AMZN and many members of the Magnificent 7 group.
Walmart has a knack for staying ahead of the e-commerce revolution. Nancy Tengler of Laffer Tengler Investments explains.
Macroeconomic data show a mixed picture: January jobs beat expectations, but 2025 revisions reveal anemic job growth and persistent inflation above the Fed's 2% target. AI-driven capital expenditures are fueling gains for select industrials like Caterpillar (CAT), while tech hyperscalers increasingly rely on debt to fund expansion.
Walmart is aggressively integrating AI, notably Sparky, to drive operational efficiency and profitability, narrowing the gap with Amazon. Despite recent e-commerce profitability and 8% operating income growth, WMT trades at a 50x blended P/E—far above its historical average and sector peers. AI-driven improvements are promising, but execution risks, heavy reliance on partnerships, and modest earnings growth projections remain material concerns.
Beyond analysts' top-and-bottom-line estimates for Walmart (WMT), evaluate projections for some of its key metrics to gain a better insight into how the business might have performed for the quarter ended January 2026.
IBD's Alexis Garcia and Ed Carson preview key upcoming earnings reports from Walmart, Guardant Health and Quanta Services. Check out our daily newsletter!
U.S. stock investors will be on guard next week for further volatility induced by fears of artificial intelligence disruption as they also assess the durability of a rotation beneath the market's surface, along with upcoming earnings from Walmart and fresh economic data.