Core Insights - October 1 marks the 55th anniversary of Walmart's initial public offering, with shares initially priced at $16.50 and currently valued at $87.77, reflecting a 532% increase from the IPO price [1] - An investment of $1,000 made in 1970 would now be worth approximately $38,438,092.80 due to stock splits, which increased the number of shares from 60 to 368,640 [2] - Walmart has executed 11 stock splits, primarily doubling the number of shares, which has significantly enhanced investor returns while maintaining the total dollar value of shares [3] Stock Splits and Returns - Each stock split has either doubled or tripled the number of shares, leading to a decrease in share price but an increase in overall returns for investors [3] - An example illustrates that an initial investment of $990 would have grown to a staggering return of 3,882,535% over 55 years, with the current stock value at $104.27 [4] Dividends - Walmart has consistently increased its annual dividend for 52 years, with the current dividend set at $0.94 for the fiscal year 2026, adding to the overall value of long-term investments [5]