New York, Jan 19, 2026, 10:09 EST — Market closed.
- Walmart stock most recently closed up, staying close to its recent highs.
- The retailer will join the Nasdaq-100 on Tuesday, prompting index funds to rebalance their holdings.
- Investors are keeping an eye on the CEO transition set for Feb. 1, along with Walmart’s earnings report due Feb. 19.
Walmart (WMT.O) shares closed Friday higher by 0.42%, at $119.70. U.S. markets will be closed Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, setting up the next trading test for Tuesday’s open. 1
The setup is crucial as Walmart approaches an index reshuffle that could temporarily skew supply and demand. Index-tracking funds—those aiming to replicate rather than outperform—might be forced to buy or sell within a tight timeframe, potentially causing unusual moves in this liquid stock.
Nasdaq announced that Walmart will take AstraZeneca’s spot in the Nasdaq-100 ahead of the market open on Jan. 20. The Nasdaq-100 covers the largest 100 non-financial firms on Nasdaq, and such index swaps often spark automatic trades right as the session begins. 2
Walmart has spent recent weeks pushing a “retail meets tech” narrative. The company and Google announced plans to enable shoppers to browse and purchase Walmart and Sam’s Club products through Google’s Gemini app, an AI-powered chat tool that answers questions. “We aren’t just watching the shift, we are driving it,” said John Furner in the announcement. 3
Delivery speed is heating up. Alphabet’s Wing announced plans to expand drone deliveries to 150 more Walmart stores within a year, aiming to serve over 40 million people. A wider rollout is in the works for 2027. Walmart executive Greg Cathey highlighted drones’ usefulness for “last-minute needs,” while Wing CEO Adam Woodworth emphasized essentials like eggs and over-the-counter medicine. 4
Walmart’s leadership lineup is shifting. David Guggina is set to step in as CEO of Walmart U.S., while Seth Dallaire moves into an expanded chief growth officer role. Chris Nicholas will take charge of Walmart International. These changes take effect Feb. 1. Separately, Walmart confirmed that Kathryn McLay will leave her post as head of Walmart International at the end of January. 5
The stock tracked the wider retail group on Friday. Amazon edged up 0.39% and Target added 0.13%, but department-store stocks fell behind. Traders often interpret this as a wager on bigger players drawing more consistent customer flow. 6
Walmart’s story goes beyond new gadgets and index changes. The retailer remains vulnerable to shifts in consumer spending and has warned about challenges facing lower-income shoppers. Trade-policy uncertainty also threatens to push up costs and disrupt supply chains. Shares touched a record high this week after jumping 21% for 2025, tightening the margin for error on profit or weaker demand. 7
Traders face a straightforward question Tuesday: will the Nasdaq-100 addition trigger a one-day surge in volume that quickly dies down, or will it attract longer-term investors waiting for a clearer entry point? Such flow shifts carry more weight when the stock is already trading near its highs.
Walmart is set to release its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings on Feb. 19. The company plans to publish the results around 6 a.m. Central time, followed by a conference call an hour later, per its events calendar. 8
Investors will focus first on Tuesday’s initial data tied to the index update, then pivot swiftly to the CEO handover on Feb. 1. Any surprises are probably going to stem from Walmart’s commentary on consumer trends and expenses, not from the index reshuffling itself.
