Could Walmart Become a Trillion-Dollar Company?

Core Insights - Walmart is on a trajectory towards a trillion-dollar market cap, currently valued at approximately $767 billion, making it the largest consumer staples company globally [1][4][11] Company Overview - Walmart operates a diversified business model that includes club stores, grocery stores, and superstores, unlike Costco, which focuses solely on club stores [3][4] - The market cap of Walmart exceeds that of Costco by over $350 billion, with Costco's market cap around $415 billion [4] Financial Performance - Walmart has achieved the status of Dividend King, with over five decades of annual dividend increases, indicating a strong and resilient business model [5] - The company is focused on profit growth rather than merely increasing store count, having fewer stores now than in fiscal 2016 [6] Market Capitalization Insights - Market cap is calculated by multiplying stock price by the number of outstanding shares, serving as an indicator of company growth [8][9] - Walmart's stock appears expensive based on its price-to-sales, price-to-earnings, and price-to-book-value ratios, all above their five-year averages [10] Long-term Outlook - Despite current valuation concerns, Walmart's historical performance and inflationary trends suggest continued growth, making it a potential long-term investment opportunity [11]