NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 2025, 10:37 a.m. ET — Market closed.
Walmart Inc. (Nasdaq: WMT) heads into the weekend with U.S. equities shut for Saturday trading, leaving investors to digest a thin, post-holiday tape, fresh analyst commentary, and new read-throughs on how value-driven consumer behavior may carry into early 2026. Shares last finished the most recent regular session at $111.74, after trading between $111.36 and $111.97 on the day. [1]
Walmart stock price action: where WMT left off before the weekend
Friday’s market tone was quiet and volume across Wall Street was light as many institutions wrapped up year-end positioning. Major U.S. indexes ended only modestly lower in post-Christmas trading, a backdrop that typically amplifies the impact of company-specific headlines when they do hit the tape. [2]
For Walmart investors, the more immediate question is whether the next burst of trading—when the market reopens Monday—rewards defensive retail exposure again, or whether money rotates back toward higher-beta names as the “Santa Claus rally” window continues into early January. [3]
What’s new in the last 24–48 hours for Walmart investors
Even with the market closed, the Walmart narrative did not stop moving. Here are the developments circulating most widely across financial and consumer outlets over the past two days:
1) New coverage: CICC initiates Walmart at Outperform with a $125 target
A key stock-specific headline late this week: CICC initiated coverage of Walmart with an “Outperform” rating and a $125 price target, according to reports carried by MT Newswires and financial aggregators. [4]
Separately, a Nasdaq.com item sourced to Fintel highlighted the broader Street setup around Walmart: as of Dec. 21, the average one-year price target was $122.40, implying about 9.7% upside from a referenced recent close, with targets spanning a wide range. [5]
Why it matters: in a late-December market with reduced liquidity, incremental positive analyst flow can have an outsized influence—especially on mega-cap “quality defensives” that institutions often use as a parking place into year-end.
2) Holiday season data: value retailers and Walmart web traffic stand out
A Barron’s report published Saturday pointed to a resilient holiday season in which U.S. holiday retail sales rose 3.9% year over year (Nov. 1 to Dec. 21), and noted that Walmart and Target saw roughly 14% increases in web visits as online traffic surged late in the season. [6]
The same report emphasized the broader investor theme underpinning Walmart’s 2025 stock story: value-focused retail has attracted attention as shoppers remain budget-conscious, particularly among low- and middle-income households facing economic pressures. [7]
3) Post-holiday behavior: thrifting, disciplined shopping lists, and returns in focus
An Associated Press report datelined New York highlighted three trends shaping the season so far: more thrifting/discount behavior, more deliberate purchasing, and early returns trending lower. The AP cited Placer.ai movement data and Adobe Analytics, and included commentary from Shira Petrack (Placer.ai) and Vivek Pandya (Adobe Digital Insights) on how discovery-oriented shopping and more conscientious purchasing may be influencing the early return picture. [8]
For Walmart, these dynamics cut both ways:
- Value-seeking behavior can support traffic and market-share gains.
- But heavy promotional periods and post-holiday clearance can pressure margins industry-wide—something investors will want to watch in upcoming updates.
4) NYC e-commerce momentum: Walmart grows without stores in the city
Another headline drawing attention: Walmart’s online business appears to be expanding meaningfully in New York City. PYMNTS, citing a Financial Times report and third-party data (including Advan Research), said Walmart’s NYC e-commerce sales rose across all five boroughs over five years—doubling in Manhattan and rising 90%–120% in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens—despite the company being blocked from building physical stores in the city. [9]
That storyline reinforces a core Walmart bull thesis: logistics, delivery reach, and digital convenience can expand the addressable market even where real-estate footprints are constrained.
5) After-Christmas promotions: clearance season is here
Consumer outlets also spotlighted Walmart’s after-Christmas promotions, with deal-focused roundups emphasizing broad markdowns across home, appliances, and electronics categories. [10]
For the stock, clearance headlines are not usually a primary catalyst. But they can matter at the margin because the market often uses promotions as a proxy for inventory health and competitive intensity (especially versus other big-box chains).
6) Leadership transition remains on the investor radar
Business Insider published a broader look at retail CEO transitions and reiterated Walmart’s previously announced leadership change: John Furner is set to become CEO on Feb. 1, succeeding longtime chief Doug McMillon. [11]
While this is not “new” information from a corporate-filing perspective, renewed coverage can influence sentiment—particularly in a market that prizes continuity in mega-cap leadership transitions.
Analyst forecasts: where Wall Street sees Walmart stock heading
With the market closed, consensus numbers provide a useful benchmark for Monday’s reopen—especially as investors weigh whether Walmart is “priced for perfection” or still has room to run.
- WSJ-reported research ratings showed a high price target of $136, low of $108, and an average around $122.92, with Walmart at $111.74 at the time of the snapshot. [12]
- MarketScreener’s consensus section similarly listed $111.74 as the last close and an average target price near $121.38 (with a “BUY” consensus in its display). [13]
- The Nasdaq/Fintel write-up framed the average one-year target at $122.40 and explicitly described the implied upside from a referenced recent close. [14]
Taken together, the Street is not calling for explosive upside from here—but it is largely maintaining a constructive stance, consistent with Walmart’s positioning as a cash-generative, defensive compounder.
Market calendar: what investors should know before Monday’s open
Because the market is closed now, the practical setup is straightforward: the next regular U.S. stock session is Monday, Dec. 29, with the standard 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET trading window. [15]
Here are the key “before the bell” and early-week considerations for Walmart holders:
Watch the macro tape—even for a defensive name
Walmart tends to hold up better than many cyclicals when the market gets nervous, but it still trades in the direction of the index on many days. Heading into Monday:
- Investors will be monitoring any weekend geopolitical or policy headlines (often impactful in year-end thin liquidity).
- Monday’s U.S. economic calendar includes Pending Home Sales (Nov.) at 10:00 a.m. ET, a data point that can influence rates and consumer-sensitive equities broadly. [16]
Know the holiday trading schedule as 2025 ends
For traders planning positioning into year-end:
- Nasdaq’s official holiday schedule shows Christmas Day (Dec. 25) closed and Dec. 24 early close already in the rearview mirror, with no indication of a New Year’s Eve early close for equities on the 2025 calendar. [17]
- Investopedia reported that stocks are expected to trade a full day on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31), while New Year’s Day (Jan. 1, 2026) is closed. [18]
In practice, volumes can thin out further as the calendar turns, which can exaggerate moves—up or down—on relatively modest news flow.
The next fundamental catalysts for Walmart stock
Even on a weekend, it’s worth lining up the next dates that could matter most to institutions:
- Walmart’s corporate events page lists the 2026 ICR Conference on Jan. 13, 2026 (7:00 a.m. ET), a setting where investors often look for strategic updates or commentary on the consumer. [19]
- Walmart has scheduled its FY2026 Q4 earnings release for Feb. 19, 2026, with materials and a live conference call timing outlined on its events listing. [20]
Between now and then, the market will likely trade Walmart on:
- Evidence that value-seeking and convenience-driven behavior persists after the holidays,
- Any additional analyst initiations or price-target changes,
- And signs that digital growth (including in challenging urban markets like NYC) can continue without sacrificing profitability.
Key risks to keep in mind
Even for a “defensive” mega-cap, Walmart’s stock can react sharply when the market reprices risk.
- Promotional intensity and margin pressure: After-Christmas clearance is normal, but an unusually aggressive discount environment can spook investors focused on gross margin trends—especially if competitors step up promotions. [21]
- Policy and tariff sensitivity: Walmart has previously warned that tariff regimes and cost pressures can affect profitability and pricing decisions, and consumer behavior can shift quickly when household budgets tighten. [22]
- Execution expectations are high: With consensus targets clustering in the low-$120s, the market may demand “clean” execution—steady traffic, stable margins, and credible guidance—rather than simply good headlines.
Bottom line: what to watch when WMT trading resumes
With the market closed, Walmart stock enters Monday’s reopen positioned as a “high-quality, value-exposed” retail name that sits at the intersection of:
- late-season holiday data suggesting consumers leaned into value and convenience, [23]
- fresh analyst coverage and broadly constructive price-target math, [24]
- and evidence that the company’s e-commerce engine is still expanding in difficult markets like New York City. [25]
When trading resumes Monday morning, the first tell for investors may be less about Walmart-specific headlines and more about whether the broader market extends its year-end rally. In a thin-liquidity stretch, that macro pulse can determine whether Walmart behaves like a steady defensive anchor—or participates more fully in the risk-on bid. [26]
References
1. www.marketbeat.com, 2. www.reuters.com, 3. www.reuters.com, 4. www.marketscreener.com, 5. www.nasdaq.com, 6. www.barrons.com, 7. www.barrons.com, 8. apnews.com, 9. www.pymnts.com, 10. www.bhg.com, 11. www.businessinsider.com, 12. www.wsj.com, 13. www.marketscreener.com, 14. www.nasdaq.com, 15. www.fidelity.com, 16. www.marketwatch.com, 17. www.nasdaq.com, 18. www.investopedia.com, 19. corporate.walmart.com, 20. corporate.walmart.com, 21. www.bhg.com, 22. www.investopedia.com, 23. www.barrons.com, 24. www.marketscreener.com, 25. www.pymnts.com, 26. www.reuters.com
