Walmart: A New Entrant in the $1 Trillion Market Cap Elite Club
Walmart Inc. marked a historic milestone in the annals of business history this week. It became the first traditional brick-and-mortar retailer to surpass a $1 trillion market valuation. The retail behemoth’s stock rose 2.9% on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, closing at an all-time high of $127.71 per share. This surge pushed its market capitalization above the trillion-dollar threshold.
This extraordinary accomplishment places Walmart in an exclusive club. A club previously dominated almost entirely by technology giants like Nvidia, Apple, Alphabet, and Microsoft. Amazon remains the only other retailer in this elite group, currently valued at $2.6 trillion.
Walmart’s transformation from a traditional discount retailer to a tech-savvy e-commerce powerhouse has driven this remarkable valuation. The company’s e-commerce sales surged 27% globally and 28% in the U.S. during the third quarter. Simultaneously, its advertising business grew an impressive 53%. The retailer has aggressively invested in artificial intelligence across its operations. It recently partnered with Alphabet’s Gemini platform and OpenAI’s ChatGPT to enhance shopping experiences.
The milestone comes during the first week of John Furner’s tenure as CEO, who took over on February 1, 2026. Furner, an early proponent of AI and automation, has signaled his intention to accelerate Walmart’s digital transformation. The company’s stock has climbed more than 28% over the past year and over 14% in 2026 alone, significantly outpacing the S&P 500’s gains.
Source: CNBC