US’ largest retailer and grocer Walmart crossed the $1 trillion market capitalisation on Tuesday. The milestone came after a quick rise in stocks fuelled by the company’s acquisition of new customers and growth of its digital businesses.
At the end of Tuesday, Walmart’s shares closed nearly 3 percent higher at $127.71, leaving the company with a $1.02 trillion market cap. This milestone, which puts Walmart in the company of an elite group of tech firms, comes only days into the tenure of its new CEO John Furner, who succeeded Doug McMillon on Sunday.
Advertisement
Walmart’s stock has climbed more than 28 percent in the past year, and over 14 percent so far in 2026. In its FY26 third quarter reported in November, it posted a 5.8 percent rise in revenue, driven by a 27 percent surge in ecommerce sales and 53 percent growth in its advertising unit. Walmart is set to release its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings later this month.
The retail company has had a remarkable journey since it was founded in 1962 by Sam Walton, who championed leadership through service. Here’s a snapshot of the company’s journey and key milestones:
1962: Sam Walton opens the first Walmart store in Rogers, Arkansas on July 21967: The family owns 24 stores, ringing $12.7 million in sales1969: The company officially incorporates as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.1970: Walmart becomes a publicly traded company. The first stock is sold at $16.50 per share1972: Is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (WMT). With 51 stores, Walmart records sales of $78 million1974: Airs first TV commercial1980: Reaches $1 billion in annual sales, faster than any other company at that time; Has 276 stores and 21,000 employees1983: The first Sam's Club opens in Midwest City, Oklahoma1991: Through a joint venture with Cifra, a Mexican retail company, goes global, opening a Sam's Club in Mexico City1992: Rob Walton becomes the chairman of the board, after Sam Walton’s passing1993: First $1 billion sales week1994: Expands into Canada1996: Walmart.com is founded, and the company opens its first stores in China1997: Celebrates its first $100 billion sales year, serving 90 million customers per week worldwide on average1998: Enters the UK2002: For the first time, tops the Fortune 500 ranking of America's largest companies, and enters the Japanese market2007: Walmart.com launches its site-to-store service, enabling customers to make a purchase online and pick up merchandise in stores2008: Enters Chile; exceeds $400 billion in annual sales2010: Bharti Walmart, a joint venture, opens its first store in India2011: Expands its business into South Africa2015: Greg Penner succeeds Rob Walton as chairman2019: Launches InHome Delivery and free NextDay delivery from Walmart.com2020: The launch of Walmart + Membership Programme2021: The launch of Walmart GoLocal last-mile delivery service, and Walmart Data Ventures2025: The company begins trading on Nasdaq2026: Hits $1 trillion market cap
Samidha graduated with a bachelor's in mass media from Sophia College, Mumbai, right before joining Forbes India, where she writes about various startups across industries. She also works on News by N
