Walmart's stock rose nearly 3% at the close of trading on 3/2, pushing its market capitalization to USD 1.02 trillion. Walmart is the first retailer in history to achieve this milestone, joining a club typically dominated by technology giants.

"This is a truly incredible achievement. We often think of trillion-dollar market caps as a story for technology stocks. But Walmart is also a formidable 'old economy' company," commented Charles Sizemore, an investor in Walmart. He praised the company's investment in technology to reduce costs.

Walmart employees at the Nasdaq opening bell ceremony, as the company transferred its listing in 12/2025. _Reuters_

Over the past year, Walmart's stock has risen nearly 26%. The retail chain has successfully attracted high-income customers seeking value and convenience, while retaining its core base of lower-income consumers. Over the past 10 years, Walmart's stock has increased 468%, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's 264% gain, partly due to this dual strategy. This approach has proven difficult for many competitors to replicate.

Low and middle-income households in the US are facing pressure from inflation, a cooling labor market, and import tariffs. This situation makes Walmart's everyday low-price strategy increasingly appealing.

Over the past five years, the company has also expanded its online sales division, offering over 500,000 items, rolling out one-hour delivery services, and launching Walmart+ to compete with Amazon Prime. Walmart has also built a USD 4 billion advertising business to improve profit margins.

According to analysts, a crucial factor is Walmart's early investment in artificial intelligence (AI), pouring billions of USD into supply chain automation. This investment helps them provide fresher food, accelerate delivery speeds, and improve inventory forecasting. Data firm LSEG reported that Walmart's US store sales have surpassed forecasts for 15 consecutive quarters.

New Walmart CEO John Furner faces the challenge of accelerating technology investment in the AI era while navigating competition from rivals like Amazon, Aldi, and Costco.

From its first store opened in Rogers, Arkansas, in 1962, Walmart now operates 4,600 locations across the US. The company held its initial public offering (IPO) in 1970, joined the DJIA index in 1997, and has been present in the S&P 500 for decades. Last month, Walmart was added to the technology-focused Nasdaq 100 index, replacing pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca.

Ha Thu (according to Reuters)