Walmart Inc. WMT

The bottom line

Walmart trades like a defensive business at a growth price: a P/E near 43.9 versus a peer median of 22, while revenue grows 5.9% a year. Last quarter brought $187.9bn revenue, $6.37bn net income and EPS of $0.81 against a $0.73 estimate. This week's items — the Affirm deal at Sam's Club and the staples sector rally — touch customer traffic and sentiment rather than reported numbers. The central tension: the price embeds continued margin gains from memberships, automation and digital, with the stock at 59% of its 52-week range and an average analyst target of $127.5.

An explanation of the mechanics from the facts on this page, not advice.

What the company does

Walmart Inc. is a mega-cap company in the Consumer Defensive sector (Discount Stores), with a market value of $954.1B, based in the USA.

It employs about 2,100,000 people and has been listed since Aug 25, 1972.

Walmart Inc. engages in the operation of retail and wholesale stores and clubs, ecommerce websites, and mobile applications worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam's Club U.S.

Cheap or expensive? relatively expensive

Its price-to-earnings (P/E) is 43.9 versus 22.0 for 4 direct peers — relatively expensive.

Revenue is growing 6% versus the same quarter last year.

On analysts' next-year forecasts the multiple drops to 36.8 — they expect higher earnings.

The average analyst price target is 127.47, 6% above the current price (their view, not ours).

The stock sits at 59% of its one-year range (0% = the low, 100% = the high).

The risks

• No risk flags were detected from the data we have.

Strengths

• ✅ Profitable — 3 of every 100 dollars of revenue stays as profit.
• ✅ Generates free cash flow — profit becomes cash in the bank.
• ✅ Most analysts rate it buy (38 vs 1).
• ✅ Pays a dividend (0.8% a year).

What the market is talking about this week

A holiday-timed buy-now-pay-later deal at Sam's Club, against a debate over the high P/E and a staples sector rally.

• Walmart's Sam's Club signed a multi-year deal making Affirm its exclusive buy-now-pay-later provider, ahead of the holiday shopping season. [5]
• The rollout starts on the Sam's Club website in the coming weeks and reaches physical stores in 2027; deal terms were not disclosed. [5]
• The stock rose 2.82% to $121.12 on a day the S&P 500 fell 1.21%; the next earnings report is set for November 19, 2026. [6]
• Two analyses flagged a P/E near 43.5 and forward P/E of 40.97, far above industry averages of 18 and 14.6 respectively. [4] [6]
• Consumer staples rose 11.64% in October, the best month since 1998; Walmart is the largest holding in the XLP fund at 10.85%. [3]

A summary of the articles below only, each point with its source. Not a forecast, not a recommendation.

What to watch

• The quarterly report on November 19, 2026: consensus calls for EPS of $0.64 and revenue of $186.46 billion. (2026-11-19) [6]
• The launch of Affirm's buy-now-pay-later service on the Sam's Club website in the coming weeks, before the holiday season. [5]
• The membership trend (Walmart+ and Sam's Club Plus) cited as a growth driver — whether it shows up in the next report's figures. [1] [4]
• Whether the staples sector keeps climbing after its 11.64% October surge, since Walmart is its largest holding. [3]

What changed this week

Over the past week the stock rose 0.9% (for comparison: S&P 500 -0.4%, sector ETF XLP +0.7%).

This week's news

• Chinese Shoppers Are Joining Membership Clubs. Walmart Is Winning. finance.yahoo.com · 2026-10-24
  An article on Chinese shoppers shifting from brand-exclusive stores to paid membership clubs, naming Walmart as the winner of the trend. source ↗
• All Americans Are Feeling Squeezed. The Reactions Are Just Different. finance.yahoo.com · 2026-10-23
  A piece on squeezed American consumers: lower-income shoppers buy more frequently and others move online, with both groups seeking value. source ↗
• Consumer staples on track for best month since 1998 as sector surges seekingalpha.com · 2026-10-23
  The S&P 500 consumer staples sector gained 11.64% in October, its best month since 1998; Walmart is XLP's top holding at 10.85%. source ↗
• Is Walmart (WMT) Getting Too Expensive on Earnings? finance.yahoo.com · 2026-10-23
  A valuation analysis: at $121.12 the P/E is about 43.5 versus 18 for retail and 24.6 for peers, so the model screens the stock as overvalued. source ↗
• Affirm, Sam's Club Strike Exclusive Buy Now, Pay Later Deal finance.yahoo.com · 2026-10-22
  Affirm becomes Sam's Club's exclusive buy-now-pay-later provider in a multi-year deal: online within weeks, in stores in 2027, terms undisclosed. source ↗
• Walmart (WMT) Advances While Market Declines: Some Information for Investors finance.yahoo.com · 2026-10-22
  A trading recap: shares closed at $121.12 (+2.82%), up 6.58% in a month; earnings due November 19 with consensus EPS of $0.64 and revenue of $186.46 billion. source ↗

What changed since last week

• The price rose 3.2% since the last summary.