Xin Lang Cai Jing·2026-02-19 13:45Core Viewpoint - Amazon has officially surpassed Walmart to become the highest-grossing company globally, marking a significant achievement in scale for the e-commerce and cloud computing giant [1][4]. Group 1: Revenue Comparison - Walmart reported sales of $713.2 billion for the 12 months ending January 31, while Amazon's projected sales for the fiscal year ending December 2025 are $717 billion [1][4]. - Over the past decade, Amazon's revenue growth rate has been nearly ten times that of Walmart, driven by a shift in consumer spending from physical stores to online platforms and the rapid growth of Amazon Web Services (AWS) [1][4]. Group 2: Market Position and Strategy - Amazon is the largest online retailer, attracting 2.7 billion visits monthly to its website and mobile app, while Walmart remains the largest physical retailer with over 10,000 stores globally [1][4]. - Despite Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods in 2017, Walmart has achieved greater success in developing its e-commerce business compared to Amazon's progress in establishing physical stores [1][4]. Group 3: Cloud Computing Impact - The primary driver of Amazon's revenue growth is its significant position in the cloud computing sector, which Walmart does not participate in. Without AWS, Amazon's revenue for 2025 would be $588 billion [2][5]. - The importance of data centers as critical infrastructure in the age of artificial intelligence has greatly influenced Amazon's rise [2][5]. Group 4: Investor Perspective - The achievement of becoming the highest-grossing company reflects corporate scale and consumer reach, which may not necessarily be valued by investors [2][6]. - Previous companies like ExxonMobil and General Motors have held the title of highest-grossing company, which can lead to increased political pressure and higher customer expectations [2][6].