New York, January 13, 2026, 6:07 PM (EST) — After-hours
- Walmart shares climbed roughly 2% in after-hours trading, building on their recent upward momentum.
- Inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 index is set for January 20, a move likely to prompt forced buying from index funds.
- Walmart’s partnership with Google Gemini for shopping and a broader rollout of Wing drones are boosting its “tech retailer” angle.
Walmart’s stock climbed roughly 2% in after-hours on Tuesday, settling near $120.36.
This shift is significant since Walmart is set to join the Nasdaq-100 on Jan. 20, landing it in a popular benchmark tracked by numerous index funds and ETFs. When a stock is added, these passive funds usually need to buy shares to keep up with the index, regardless of any changes in the company’s fundamentals.
Walmart climbed roughly 3% on Monday, with investors gearing up for the upcoming reshuffle. Reuters noted the move might trigger billions in passive fund flows. The retailer shifted its primary listing from the NYSE to Nasdaq last month, qualifying it for the index.
It bucked the trend as U.S. stocks slipped, dragged down by weakness in financials amid fresh concerns about a potential cap on credit-card interest rates. Another report revealed consumer prices in December climbed 2.7% year-over-year.
Walmart is doubling down on technology. The retailer announced plans to let customers find Walmart and Sam’s Club products inside Google’s new Gemini chatbot, with purchases processed through Walmart’s own checkout system, according to Retail Dive. At the NRF retail conference, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said, “We want to use our full stack approach.” Incoming Walmart CEO John Furner added, “everything else we are willing to change.”
Walmart and Wing, the drone delivery unit owned by Alphabet, are broadening their reach to new cities like St. Louis, Los Angeles, Miami, and Cincinnati, according to the Alton Telegraph. Wing plans to extend its service to 40 million Americans and bring in 150 more stores within the next year. Walmart’s Greg Cathey called the early uptake “proof this is the future of convenience.” The rollout starts Thursday in Houston, Orlando, Tampa, and Charlotte. The Telegraph
Walmart’s move thrusts it once again into the fast-shipping battle with Amazon, which is also advancing its drone-delivery programs, according to Supply Chain Dive. The report highlighted a persistent challenge for the industry: regulatory roadblocks and noise complaints, as the FAA aims to establish clearer rules for longer-range flights.
That said, the index trade centers on a single date. If much of the buying happens before Jan. 20, shares might lose steam or fluctuate after the forced demand fades, leaving investors to focus again on execution, margins, and how customers actually respond.
Next on deck: the Nasdaq-100 rebalance, where trading volumes usually pick up ahead of the effective date and spill into the first full session afterward. Eyes are also on Walmart’s Gemini shopping rollout timing and how quickly Wing moves beyond its initial launch cities.
