Walmart Inc. (WMT) finished Monday’s regular session essentially flat—and early after-hours trading has been just as calm. But “quiet” doesn’t mean “nothing to watch.” With a major batch of shutdown-delayed U.S. economic reports landing Tuesday morning, Walmart stock could quickly shift from low-volatility to headline-driven trading before the opening bell.
Below is what happened to Walmart stock after the bell on Monday, December 15, 2025, what’s driving the latest headlines, and the key catalysts to monitor before the market opens Tuesday (Dec. 16, 2025).
Walmart stock price after the bell: where WMT stands tonight
Walmart shares closed at $116.79, up 0.09 (+0.08%) in Monday’s regular session. [1]
In post-market trading, WMT was slightly higher around $116.83 as of the latest Yahoo Finance after-hours update this evening—an incremental move, but one that confirms there hasn’t been a major “surprise” headline forcing a repricing after 4 p.m. ET. [2]
Monday’s trading range matters, though: WMT traded between roughly $115.64 (low) and $117.45 (high) before settling near the middle of that band at the close. [3]
Why that range matters for Tuesday: when a stock finishes near the midpoint after setting a fresh near-term high intraday, it often becomes more sensitive to macro headlines (jobs, inflation, consumer spending) that can push it back toward the day’s high—or back down toward support.
Big-picture market context: stocks closed lower ahead of a data rush
Walmart didn’t trade in a vacuum. U.S. equities ended lower Monday as investors positioned for a heavy week of delayed economic data and fresh signals on the interest-rate outlook.
According to Reuters, the Dow fell 0.09%, the S&P 500 fell 0.16%, and the Nasdaq fell 0.59% at the close. [4]
That backdrop matters for WMT because Walmart is often treated as a “defensive growth” retailer—steady demand for groceries and essentials, plus expanding higher-margin businesses like membership and advertising. In risk-off sessions, WMT can sometimes hold up better than the broader market. In risk-on sessions, it may lag higher-beta names.
What’s in today’s headlines that investors will price into WMT
Even though WMT’s after-hours move is small, today brought multiple Walmart-related headlines that investors may digest overnight—especially portfolio managers preparing for Tuesday’s macro data.
1) Walmart and other retailers object to the Visa/Mastercard “swipe fee” settlement
A major legal and payments-industry story today: Walmart and other large retailers, along with trade groups, asked a federal judge to reject a proposed antitrust settlement with Visa and Mastercard tied to credit-card swipe fees. [5]
Key points from the reporting and filings:
- The proposed settlement would reduce swipe fees by 0.1 percentage point for five years, but objectors argue it offers limited relief—especially for large merchants. [6]
- Walmart’s objection argues the deal still leaves in place rules that effectively require merchants to accept all Visa or Mastercard credit cards if they accept any. [7]
Why it matters for Walmart stock: Payment fees are a meaningful cost line for large retailers. Any durable reduction in those fees could be margin-positive over time. But because Walmart is objecting, the story’s near-term market impact is less about “margin upside tomorrow” and more about legal uncertainty: the settlement’s path isn’t guaranteed, and the timeline for any final outcome could stretch.
2) FDA warning letters tied to recalled ByHeart infant formula
Another headline that may stay in focus: the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent warning letters to Walmart, Target, Kroger, and Albertsons regarding sales of ByHeart infant formula after a recall. [8]
What’s known from today’s coverage:
- The formula was recalled in November after a botulism outbreak affecting dozens of infants across multiple states, according to reporting and FDA information. [9]
- The FDA gave the retailers 15 working days to respond with corrective actions. [10]
Why it matters for WMT: This is not the kind of headline that usually changes Walmart’s long-term earnings power by itself, but it can affect reputational risk, compliance scrutiny, and short-term sentiment—especially in a market already sensitive to risk headlines.
3) Nasdaq pushes toward near 24-hour trading—relevant now that Walmart trades on Nasdaq
Walmart’s stock is now listed on Nasdaq, and today Reuters reported Nasdaq is moving forward with a plan for “24/5” trading via a proposal to the SEC—building toward almost round-the-clock access to U.S. stocks. [11]
Under the Reuters description of Nasdaq’s proposal:
- A “day” session would run 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET
- A “night” session would run 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. ET, five days a week
- Nasdaq is targeting the second half of 2026, subject to approvals and infrastructure readiness [12]
Why it matters for WMT tomorrow morning: Not because the rules change overnight—they don’t—but because it reinforces a broader theme: liquidity is migrating into extended-hours windows, and price discovery for widely held names like Walmart can increasingly happen outside the 9:30-to-4:00 window.
The real catalyst before Tuesday’s open: a shutdown-delayed jobs report (and more) hits at 8:30 a.m. ET
If you remember only one thing before Tuesday’s opening bell: macro data is back—and it’s messy.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will release the Employment Situation for November 2025 on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. ET, based on its revised schedule following the 2025 lapse in appropriations. [13]
Important nuance (also straight from BLS):
- The October 2025 Employment Situation report was canceled
- October establishment survey data (payrolls) will be published with the November release
- October household survey data (used for the unemployment rate and other measures) was not collected and will not be collected retroactively [14]
Why WMT investors should care: Walmart is a consumer bellwether. Labor-market strength (or weakness) feeds directly into how investors model:
- traffic and unit volumes
- mix between necessities vs discretionary categories
- wage pressure and operating costs
- the likelihood of Fed rate cuts (which can re-rate valuations)
Reuters emphasized today that markets are bracing for this “busy week of data,” with the jobs figures and other reports potentially reshaping expectations around the rate path. [15]
Retail sales is also scheduled for Tuesday (per Census release updates)
Alongside the jobs data, the U.S. Census Bureau’s revised release schedule indicates retail-related reports are also due Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, including:
- October 2025 “Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services”
- A rescheduled September 2025 “Monthly Retail Trade” release [16]
For Walmart, retail sales data can shift the market’s view of:
- how strong the holiday spending ramp really is
- whether value retailers are gaining share
- category-level strength (grocery vs general merchandise)
Other key dates WMT investors are watching (beyond Tuesday morning)
CPI later this week: Thursday, Dec. 18 (but with gaps)
The BLS also shows November 2025 CPI is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. ET, but warns that missing October CPI data will create limitations (including missing 1‑month percent changes where October data are missing). [17]
Even if you’re focused on Walmart fundamentals, CPI influences:
- rate expectations
- bond yields
- equity multiples—especially for large, widely owned “core” names like WMT
Next Walmart earnings date: Feb. 19, 2026 (before the open)
Most major market calendars currently point to Walmart’s next earnings report on Feb. 19, 2026 (before market open). [18]
That’s not tomorrow, but it matters because investors start to position well in advance—especially after holiday season results across retail.
Analyst forecasts and price targets: what Wall Street expects for WMT
Here’s the simplest way to frame analyst expectations tonight: Walmart is already trading close to many published consensus targets, which can make the stock more sensitive to whether incoming macro data supports (or challenges) the “soft landing / resilient consumer” narrative.
Different data aggregators show slightly different consensus targets:
- StockAnalysis shows a consensus rating of “Strong Buy” and a price target around $118.33 (modest upside from current levels). [19]
- TipRanks published an analysis today citing a consensus price target of about $122.32 and a “Strong Buy” view, with a wide range between the highest and lowest targets. [20]
How to interpret that range:
- When a mega-cap stock is trading near consensus targets, it doesn’t mean it “can’t go higher.”
- It does mean the market may demand new information—better-than-expected consumer data, stronger margin evidence, or a fresh strategic catalyst—to justify another leg up.
One quiet-but-real filing to note: insider sale notice (Form 144)
Walmart’s investor relations filings page shows a Form 144 filing dated 12/15/25. [21]
Separately, an automated SEC-filings summary indicated an executive (Daniel J. Bartlett) filed a Rule 144 notice tied to a proposed sale of Walmart shares. [22]
Form 144 filings are not inherently bearish—insiders sell for many reasons (taxes, diversification, planned sales). But it is something some traders scan for in extended-hours sessions.
What to watch before the market opens Tuesday: a practical checklist
If you’re monitoring Walmart stock into Tuesday’s open, here are the most actionable items:
1) 8:30 a.m. ET: Jobs data headline and revisions
- Watch the top-line payroll numbers and wage measures—but keep in mind the BLS data has unusual gaps due to the shutdown-lapse disruptions. [23]
2) 8:30 a.m. ET window: Retail sales release(s)
- The Census schedule revisions point to retail data hitting Tuesday as well. Any surprise here can swing retail and consumer-staples sentiment quickly. [24]
3) Bond yields and Fed-cut expectations
- Reuters reported investors are actively positioning for data that could influence the rate outlook. Even defensive names like WMT can move if yields jump or drop sharply. [25]
4) Legal/regulatory headline risk
- Swipe-fee settlement objections and the FDA warning-letter story are both active narratives today and could resurface in morning briefings. [26]
5) Key technical levels from Monday’s tape
- Near-term resistance: about $117.45 (Monday’s high)
- Near-term support: about $115.64 (Monday’s low) [27]
That’s not “prediction”—it’s simply where buyers and sellers already proved willing to transact today.
Bottom line: Walmart is steady tonight, but Tuesday morning may not be
Walmart stock is barely changed after hours following a low-drama Monday close. [28]
But the real test comes before Tuesday’s open, when the market digests a shutdown-delayed jobs report and retail data that can reset expectations for consumer demand and the Fed’s next move. [29]
For WMT specifically, the setup is straightforward:
- If macro data signals a resilient consumer and easing inflation pressures: Walmart’s “quality + defensiveness” profile can stay in favor.
- If macro data surprises to the downside (or looks unreliable due to gaps): volatility can rise even in traditionally steady names—especially near multi-week highs.
References
1. finance.yahoo.com, 2. ca.finance.yahoo.com, 3. stockanalysis.com, 4. www.reuters.com, 5. www.reuters.com, 6. www.reuters.com, 7. www.reuters.com, 8. www.reuters.com, 9. www.reuters.com, 10. www.reuters.com, 11. www.reuters.com, 12. www.reuters.com, 13. www.bls.gov, 14. www.bls.gov, 15. www.reuters.com, 16. www.census.gov, 17. www.bls.gov, 18. finance.yahoo.com, 19. stockanalysis.com, 20. www.tipranks.com, 21. stock.walmart.com, 22. www.stocktitan.net, 23. www.bls.gov, 24. www.census.gov, 25. www.reuters.com, 26. www.reuters.com, 27. stockanalysis.com, 28. ca.finance.yahoo.com, 29. www.bls.gov
