New York, Feb 7, 2026, 10:23 EST — Market is closed.
Walmart Inc (WMT) climbed 3.34% on Friday, wrapping up the session at $131.18 and pushing its market cap to roughly $1.05 trillion. Shares moved in a range from $126.03 to $131.69. Trading volume landed near 26.6 million shares. 1
The Dow Jones Industrial Average barreled past 50,000 for the first time, lifted by a sweeping rally that drew buyers into sectors outside of technology. “What’s driven it recently has been the broadening … other than just the tech, AI trade,” said Chuck Carlson, chief executive at Horizon Investment Services. 2
With the U.S. monthly jobs numbers postponed by the government shutdown, investors look to Monday’s open still focused on policy moves. According to Reuters, CME Group’s FedWatch tool put the odds of a quarter-point Fed cut at 22.7% for the meeting finishing March 18—sharply higher than the 9.4% odds logged just the day before. 3
Retail stocks were mostly in the green Friday—Target jumped 4.24%, Costco tacked on 1.20%. Amazon, though, slid 5.55%, MarketWatch data showed. The S&P 500 climbed 1.97%, with the Nasdaq up 2.16%. 4
Walmart investors now have their eyes on whether the retailer can carry the steady mood about the consumer into this next reporting stretch. Shares have been climbing ahead of the update—leaving guidance to shoulder much of the work.
Analysts zeroed in on comparable sales during the earnings call—those numbers from stores running for at least a year—and pushed for details about e-commerce gains. Margins came up as well, a sticking point in grocery-centric retail where pricing shifts quickly.
Next week brings the near-term macro test. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics schedule, that postponed January jobs report lands on Feb. 11, with the January consumer price index—the CPI—following Feb. 13. Both drop at 8:30 a.m. ET. 5
Risks cut both ways here. A spike in inflation could reignite concerns that rates remain elevated. On the flip side, softer jobs figures might pivot the focus to waning demand, which tends to weigh on retail sentiment across the board.
Walmart’s next big test arrives Feb. 19: that’s when it’s set to report fiscal Q4 earnings and host a 7 a.m. Central conference call, per the company’s events page. 6
