New York, Jan 6, 2026, 12:24 EST — Regular session
- Walmart shares up 0.2% midday after Mizuho lifted its price target to $125
- Mizuho flagged “strained consumer sentiment” but kept an Outperform rating
- Next catalysts include U.S. payrolls on Friday and Walmart’s Feb. 19 earnings
Walmart Inc shares edged higher on Tuesday after Mizuho raised its price target on the retailer. The stock was up 0.2% at $112.97 in midday trade.
The call lands as investors look for fresh signals on U.S. consumer demand, with labor data due later this week. The Labor Department is scheduled to release the December employment report on Friday.
Walmart has a market value of about $900 billion and trades about 4% below its 52-week high of $117.45. The stock’s next test for momentum sits near that high-water mark.
Mizuho analyst David Bellinger lifted his price target — a broker’s estimate of where a stock could trade over the next 12 months — to $125 from $115 and kept an Outperform rating. “Signs of strained consumer sentiment, although the key underpinnings of spending are still very much intact,” Bellinger wrote, while naming Chewy as the firm’s top pick for 2026 and dropping Walmart from that list. TipRanks
Other retail names were firmer. Target rose 1.7% and Costco gained 1.4%, while Tractor Supply was little changed; Amazon added 2.6%.
The broader market also held modest gains, with investors focused on the week’s labor and activity readings for clues on the path of U.S. interest rates. The S&P 500 was up about 0.3% in late morning trading.
Walmart shares traded between $112.02 and $113.32 so far on Tuesday. Traders have watched the $112 area for support, with the 52-week high as the next clear resistance.
Walmart management is scheduled to appear at the ICR Conference on Jan. 13, and the company is due to report fiscal fourth-quarter results on Feb. 19. Investors will look for updates on demand trends and margins heading into the new fiscal year.
But the stock’s premium standing leaves less room for error. A sharper slowdown in consumer spending, heavier discounting, or higher labor and logistics costs could weigh on profit expectations and cap near-term upside.
Walmart has said Walmart U.S. chief John Furner will take over as chief executive on Feb. 1, succeeding Doug McMillon, who is set to retire on Jan. 31. The next major read-through for the stock comes with Friday’s payrolls report and Walmart’s earnings release on Feb. 19.
