Dec. 24, 2025 (Christmas Eve) — Walmart Inc. (Nasdaq: WMT) is navigating a holiday-shortened trading week with its stock hovering around the $111 level, a zone that leaves the retail giant within striking distance of its 2025 highs—but also highly sensitive to headline risk and any shifts in the consumer narrative. [1]
While Walmart’s 2025 rally has been powered by fast-growing e-commerce, membership momentum, and higher-margin profit streams, investors are using the final sessions of the year to reassess what could move the stock in 2026: from payment-fee litigation and product-recall scrutiny, to emerging health and lifestyle trends that may reshape grocery baskets and brand strategy.
Below is a comprehensive roundup of the current Walmart stock price action, today’s most relevant news, and the latest analyst forecasts and investment-case debate as of Dec. 24, 2025.
Walmart stock price today (Dec. 24, 2025): WMT snapshot
Walmart shares are trading around $111 in early U.S. trading on Dec. 24, with light holiday volume typical for a half-day session. [2]
Key datapoints investors are watching today:
- Recent price: about $111 [3]
- Day range (so far): roughly $110.57 to $111.36 (intraday)
- 52-week range:$79.81 to $117.45 [4]
- Market cap: about $883B [5]
- Valuation: P/E around the high-30s (varies slightly by data vendor/time of day) [6]
- Dividend:$0.94 annualized (~0.85% yield) with the next payment scheduled Jan. 5, 2026 (per MarketBeat) [7]
With the stock roughly 5.5% below its 52-week high (based on ~$111 vs $117.45), WMT remains close enough to its peak that momentum investors still see strength—while value-focused investors increasingly debate whether the multiple already prices in a lot of good news. [8]
The biggest Walmart-linked headline on Dec. 24: GLP‑1 weight-loss pill approval and what it could mean for grocery spending
One of the most important retail-adjacent stories landing on Dec. 24, 2025 isn’t a Walmart earnings update—it’s a consumer-demand signal.
Reuters reports that the U.S. FDA approved Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy GLP‑1 pill, with availability expected in January, and analysts anticipate wider adoption because pills can be cheaper and easier for many patients than injections. [9]
Why this matters for Walmart stock:
- Reuters cites a Cornell study using Numerator household purchase data indicating households using GLP‑1 drugs reduced grocery spending by ~5.3% and fast-food spending by ~8% on average, though the reductions faded when households stopped using the medication. [10]
- The same Reuters report notes packaged-food companies are already adapting with higher-protein positioning, smaller portions, and “GLP‑1 friendly” labeling—and specifically says Conagra plans to work with grocers “like Walmart and Kroger” to market certain products. [11]
For Walmart, the read-through is nuanced:
- Potential pressure: If GLP‑1 adoption broadens and sustained grocery basket sizes shrink, that could be a demand headwind across food retail over time. [12]
- Potential opportunity: Walmart’s scale and data-driven merchandising make it a natural partner for brands seeking to reposition product lines quickly; Walmart may also be able to defend share by leaning into value, private label, and targeted promotions.
In other words, GLP‑1 is increasingly becoming a macro trend investors can’t ignore when valuing a retailer that sits at the center of U.S. grocery spend.
Legal and regulatory overhang: FDA warning letters tied to recalled infant formula still in stores
A second theme investors continue to monitor is regulatory scrutiny and litigation risk linked to infant formula.
Reuters reports the FDA sent warning letters to Walmart, Target, Kroger, and Albertsons after the agency found recalled ByHeart infant formula still being sold, with letters dated Dec. 12, 2025. [13]
Key details cited by Reuters include:
- The issue relates to recalled ByHeart infant formula linked to an infant botulism outbreak; Reuters cited 51 infants across 19 states sickened as of last week (at the time of the report). [14]
- Reuters reported recalled products were found at Walmart in 21 states, and the FDA gave retailers 15 working days to detail corrective steps, warning noncompliance could lead to actions including product seizures. [15]
- The FDA’s outbreak investigation page emphasizes that all ByHeart infant formula products have been recalled and “should not be available for sale,” and confirms the warning letters to major retailers for failing to remove recalled product. [16]
For Walmart stock, headline-driven risk like this often doesn’t change the long-term investment thesis by itself—but it can influence near-term sentiment, especially when WMT is trading at an elevated valuation relative to many traditional retail peers.
Payments and “swipe fees”: Walmart objects to Visa and Mastercard settlement
Another developing storyline is the fight over credit card interchange fees—costs that matter materially to large merchants.
Reuters reports that Walmart and other retailers urged a federal judge to reject a proposed antitrust settlement with Visa and Mastercard, arguing it offers “no meaningful relief” for large national merchants and would require releasing antitrust claims for eight years. [17]
Reuters also notes the settlement would cut swipe fees by 0.1 percentage point for five years under the agreement. [18]
For investors, this is the kind of issue that can become a margin lever (if fee structures change) or a persistent cost irritant (if they don’t). Walmart has long positioned itself as a fierce defender of low prices; payment costs are one of the less visible battlegrounds that can support—or squeeze—retail economics.
Institutional activity on Dec. 24: fresh filings show continued buying interest
On the newsflow side, Dec. 24 also includes additional ownership updates.
MarketBeat published a filing-focused item today noting Affiance Financial LLC increased its stake in Walmart, alongside a recap of Walmart’s valuation metrics and the ongoing analyst optimism surrounding the stock. [19]
These types of updates aren’t usually primary catalysts on their own, but they reinforce a broader point: Walmart remains one of the most widely held, institutionally followed consumer stocks in the U.S.
Walmart stock forecast: what analysts expect for WMT heading into 2026
Despite today’s headline mix, Wall Street’s baseline view of Walmart remains constructive.
Analyst rating trend
- MarketBeat shows 31 Buys vs. 1 Hold (consensus: “Moderate Buy”) and an average 12‑month price target of $120.54. [20]
- MarketBeat’s target range spans from $91 (low) to $135 (high). [21]
- StockAnalysis lists an average target around $119.03, also implying mid-to-high single-digit upside from roughly $111. [22]
A reasonable takeaway: the Street broadly sees Walmart as a steady compounder, but not necessarily a “double overnight” story from these levels.
Earnings outlook: what’s priced in
MarketBeat’s analysis page projects earnings growth of about 18.43%, from $2.55 to $3.02 per share in the coming year (as presented on its platform). [23]
Meanwhile, Walmart’s own near-term calendar is coming into focus:
- Walmart’s corporate events page lists FY2026 Q4 earnings release on Feb. 19, 2026 (7:00 a.m. U.S. Central). [24]
- MarketBeat lists Feb. 19, 2026 as the next earnings date estimate and also references company guidance ranges for the quarter. [25]
The bullish case: why Walmart outperformed in 2025
A widely cited reason WMT has held up so well this year is that investors increasingly view it as more than a traditional big-box retailer.
In a Zacks analyst blog republished by Nasdaq, Walmart is described as a strong 2025 outperformer, with shares up 25.3% year to date as of Dec. 12, 2025, helped by consistent execution and “rapid omnichannel expansion.” [26]
Zacks highlights several operating trends that—if sustained—help justify the stock’s premium multiple:
- E-commerce growth: Zacks cites e-commerce growth of 27% in fiscal Q3 2026, with U.S. e-commerce up 28% and international up 26%. [27]
- Speed as a moat: Zacks notes 35% of U.S. store-fulfilled orders were delivered in under three hours—a capability investors increasingly treat as strategic infrastructure, not just convenience. [28]
- Margin mix shift: Zacks states Walmart’s business mix is shifting toward higher-margin streams (including advertising and membership), amounting to about one-third of consolidated adjusted operating income (as characterized in the note). [29]
This is the core of the modern Walmart bull thesis: scale + speed + data + alternative profit streams can turn a defensive retailer into a higher-quality earnings machine.
The bear and “cautious” case: valuation sensitivity and 2026 headwinds
The reason Walmart can react sharply to news—even in a holiday week—is that its valuation leaves less room for disappointment than many peers.
Zacks points to several near-term hurdles:
- Merchandise mix pressure toward lower-margin categories (food; health & wellness). [30]
- Tariff cost pressure (especially in Walmart U.S. inventory). [31]
- Pharmacy business headwinds tied to “maximum fair pricing” legislation expected to take effect in early 2026 (per Zacks). [32]
- Valuation: Zacks cites Walmart’s forward P/E around 39.13, above the industry average cited in that piece, arguing it limits room for further multiple expansion and makes the stock more sensitive to a consumer slowdown. [33]
Layer on the headline risks discussed above—infant formula recall scrutiny and payment-fee litigation—and it’s clear why some investors may prefer to wait for either (1) a pullback or (2) an earnings report that de-risks the next leg higher.
What to watch next for Walmart stock
As of Dec. 24, 2025, here are the near-term signposts that matter most for WMT:
- Any further developments on the ByHeart formula recall and retailer compliance, including potential follow-on legal actions. [34]
- Progress (or pushback) in the Visa/Mastercard settlement fight, which could affect merchant costs and long-term payment flexibility. [35]
- How “GLP‑1 grocery” narratives evolve as pills come to market in January—and whether Walmart uses its merchandising scale to turn the shift into a share and margin opportunity. [36]
- Walmart’s Feb. 19, 2026 earnings event, the next major scheduled catalyst on the company calendar. [37]
Bottom line
On Dec. 24, 2025, Walmart stock is behaving like what it has become in the eyes of many investors: a premium-priced consumer staple leader with tech-enabled logistics and growing higher-margin profit engines. [38]
But premium pricing cuts both ways. With WMT near $111 and still not far from its 2025 highs, the stock may remain headline-sensitive—especially to regulatory and litigation developments, the fight over payment fees, and any data that suggests consumer spending patterns could shift meaningfully in 2026. [39]
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
References
1. stockanalysis.com, 2. www.marketbeat.com, 3. www.marketbeat.com, 4. stockanalysis.com, 5. stockanalysis.com, 6. stockanalysis.com, 7. www.marketbeat.com, 8. stockanalysis.com, 9. www.reuters.com, 10. www.reuters.com, 11. www.reuters.com, 12. www.reuters.com, 13. www.reuters.com, 14. www.reuters.com, 15. www.reuters.com, 16. www.fda.gov, 17. www.reuters.com, 18. www.reuters.com, 19. www.marketbeat.com, 20. www.marketbeat.com, 21. www.marketbeat.com, 22. stockanalysis.com, 23. www.marketbeat.com, 24. corporate.walmart.com, 25. www.marketbeat.com, 26. www.nasdaq.com, 27. www.nasdaq.com, 28. www.nasdaq.com, 29. www.nasdaq.com, 30. www.nasdaq.com, 31. www.nasdaq.com, 32. www.nasdaq.com, 33. www.nasdaq.com, 34. www.reuters.com, 35. www.reuters.com, 36. www.reuters.com, 37. corporate.walmart.com, 38. www.nasdaq.com, 39. www.reuters.com
