NEW YORK, Feb 24, 2026, 19:04 ET — After-hours
- Walmart shares rose 1.2% in regular trade, then slipped about 0.4% after the bell
- Barclays lifted its price target and kept an Overweight rating
- Investors are weighing defensive retail names ahead of key inflation and labor signals
Walmart Inc shares ended higher on Tuesday after a fresh Wall Street target hike and a broader bid for defensive retail names, then eased in after-hours trade. The stock closed up 1.2% at $127.26 and was down about 0.4% at $126.75 in extended trading. (Yahoo Finance)
The move matters now because investors have been looking for steadier earnings in consumer staples and discount chains as they cut exposure to parts of the market tied to fast-changing AI narratives. That rotation has helped names such as Walmart and Costco, but some traders worry the trade is getting crowded. (MarketWatch)
Fresh U.S. consumer data added to the debate. The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index rose to 91.2 in February, though the share of respondents saying jobs were “hard to get” climbed to a five-year high, a signal that spending could get choppier if hiring cools. (Reuters)
Walmart is often treated as a read-through on the lower- and middle-income shopper because of its heavy grocery mix and price positioning. That makes any shift in inflation expectations and wage pressure show up quickly in how the stock trades, especially around guidance resets.
Barclays on Monday raised its price target on Walmart to $132 from $125 and maintained an Overweight rating, a call that implies expected outperformance versus peers. The bank pointed to unit share gains tied to price investments and said modest inflation in fiscal 2027 could help Walmart’s competitive footing. (Investing)
Walmart’s latest quarterly update still hangs over the tape. The company reported fourth-quarter revenue of $190.7 billion and said global e-commerce sales rose 24%, while it announced a new $30 billion share repurchase authorization. It forecast fiscal 2027 net sales growth of 3.5% to 4.5% in constant currency, which strips out exchange-rate swings, and adjusted earnings per share of $2.75 to $2.85. “We’re not only embracing this change, we’re leading it,” CEO John Furner said. (SEC)
Investors have also been zeroing in on spending tied to automation. On an earnings call, Furner said supply chain capital investments will “probably peak this year and next year,” as Walmart continues retrofits across regional distribution centers, Supply Chain Dive reported. CFO John David Rainey told the call, “Technology-enabled productivity benefits are critical to our ability to grow our core omni business at lower marginal cost.” (Supply Chain Dive)
On the digital side, CFO Rainey said Walmart’s operating income lift was helped by “improved ecommerce economics,” and he said e-commerce should remain the company’s “primary growth driver,” according to Digital Commerce 360. The outlet said Walmart’s fiscal 2026 e-commerce sales topped $150 billion for the first time. (Digital Commerce 360)
The setup keeps Walmart in the same conversation as Costco and other large-format retailers as investors look for margin defense and steadier traffic. It also keeps Amazon in the background as a reference point for online growth and logistics speed, even when the day’s trade is more about stability than growth.
But the defensive bid can unwind fast. If inflation re-accelerates or tariff-related costs bite harder than expected, the market could start questioning how much price investment Walmart can keep making without giving up margin. A sharper rebound in risk appetite would also test whether investors still want to pay up for “safe” retail.
Traders now look to Friday’s Producer Price Index for January, due at 8:30 a.m. ET, for clues on pipeline inflation heading into March. The next Personal Income and Outlays report — which includes the PCE price index watched closely by the Federal Reserve — is scheduled for March 13. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
