New York, Feb 23, 2026, 13:32 EST — Regular session
- Walmart shares jumped 2.7% to $126.32, defying the wider drop across U.S. stocks.
- Evercore ISI bumped its price target on Walmart up to $135, sticking with an Outperform rating.
- Tuesday brings the launch of new tariffs, with traders also eyeing this week’s U.S. consumer data and inflation numbers.
Walmart Inc. shares jumped on Monday, beating the broader market’s slide as investors piled into defensive names amid renewed tariff worries.
Risk appetite was scarce on Wall Street. The benchmark S&P 500 tracking ETF slipped roughly 0.9%, but consumer staples — companies selling household essentials — managed to stay firm.
Evercore ISI bumped up its Walmart price target to $135 from $130, maintaining its Outperform call. The firm cited rapid digital gains and stronger profits from advertising and memberships. A price target reflects an analyst’s forecast for a stock’s future level. (Investing)
Retail wasn’t all down. Amazon shed 2.7%, Target dropped off 2.5%, and Costco slipped just 0.4%. Walmart, on the other hand, managed to stand out as one of the sector’s rare gainers.
Last week’s earnings are still hanging over Walmart after the company rolled out a $30 billion buyback and John Furner, just stepping in as CEO, offered a reserved outlook. (Reuters)
“Tariff policy can be capricious and very subject to one person’s whims and that’s not good for the market,” said Steve Sosnick, chief market analyst at Interactive Brokers. (Reuters)
Retailers tied into global supply chains are still feeling the sting from trade headlines. U.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to halt collection of certain tariffs the Supreme Court found illegal, stopping at 12:01 a.m. EST on Tuesday. A separate 15% global tariff, though, will kick in under a different authority. (Reuters)
Tariffs aren’t the only thing on investors’ minds this week. There’s heavyweight earnings in the mix—Nvidia and Home Depot both reporting—as well as President Trump’s State of the Union address. (Investopedia)
Still, Walmart’s strong run isn’t risk-free. Should tariffs boost costs more quickly than the retailer can balance out with sourcing tweaks, promotions, or changes in product mix, margins could feel the squeeze. After such a fast climb, there’s little tolerance left for stumbles in pricing or demand.
Traders are eyeing the Conference Board’s consumer confidence numbers coming Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 10:00 a.m. ET. Then, the Labor Department drops January’s producer price index (PPI) data Friday, Feb. 27, at 8:30 a.m. ET. (Conference Board)
