Walmart

Walmart is an American multinational retail corporation with a market capitalization of approximately $890 billion as of August 2026. It is the world’s largest retailer by revenue and one of the largest private employers globally, operating a vast network of discount stores, supercenters, and a growing e-commerce business.

Founding & Early History

Walmart was founded by Sam Walton, who opened the first Walmart Discount City store on July 2, 1962, in Rogers, Arkansas. Walton’s strategy centered on placing large discount stores in small towns overlooked by bigger retail chains, offering low prices through efficient supply-chain management. The company grew rapidly through the following decades and went public in 1970, with its headquarters remaining in Bentonville, Arkansas, where it is still based today.

Rise to Dominance

Walmart expanded aggressively through the 1980s and 1990s, becoming the largest retailer in the United States and later the world, driven by its scale, logistics network, and everyday-low-price model. It later moved into groceries with the Supercenter format and expanded internationally into markets across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Company History

Walmart has been led by a series of CEOs since Sam Walton’s death in 1992, including David Glass, Lee Scott, Mike Duke, and, most recently, Doug McMillon, who ran the company from 2014 until his retirement in January 2026. John Furner, previously president and CEO of Walmart U.S., succeeded McMillon as president and CEO in February 2026. The company reached a $1 trillion market capitalization for the first time in early February 2026, joining a small group of companies to hit that milestone, before settling back to a level near $890 billion by mid-2026. Walmart today operates thousands of stores worldwide alongside a large e-commerce operation and membership warehouse chain, Sam’s Club.

How It Built Its Value

Walmart’s valuation is built on its retail revenue — the largest of any company in the world — generated through its network of physical stores, Sam’s Club warehouses, and a rapidly growing e-commerce and advertising business. Its scale gives it significant purchasing power with suppliers, letting it sustain low prices while maintaining profitability, and continued investment in supply-chain automation, digital fulfillment, and online marketplace growth has been central to its stock performance in recent years.

Walmart’s market capitalization currently stands at approximately $890 billion, reflecting its position as the world’s largest retailer by revenue.