Retail giant Walmart Inc WMT opened its first store in 1962 in Arkansas and has since expanded to have more than 10,500 stores across the U.S. and around the world.
The company is one of the largest retailers and companies in the world today, a move that may have been helped by going public in 1970.
Here's a look at how much an investment in Walmart at the time of its IPO could be worth today.
What Happened: Walmart opened its first store in July 1962 and in five years had 24 stores doing $12 million in annual sales. Today, the company is one of the largest retailers and constantly expanding into new areas and evolving its technology.
Incorporated as Wal-Mart Stores in 1969, the company laid out a plan to expand nationally in the 1970s. To help with expansion and financials, the company decided to publicly list its shares.
"We wanted to expand, and we realized we weren't generating enough profits both to expand and to pay off our debts …. (Bud and I) agreed to seriously explore the possibilities of going public. It was a huge step for us," Walmart co-founderSamWaltonsaid.
Walmart held its initial price offering Oct.1, 1970 with shares priced at $16.50 and traded over-the-counter. Shares quadrupled in two years and were later uplisted to the New York Stock Exchange on Aug. 25, 1972.
The rest, as they say, is history, with Walmart shares enjoying a strong return over the years and the company expanding nationally and internationally to become a top global brand, even topping the Fortune 500 list for many years as the top revenue generating public company.
Related Link: Walmart’s Store Managers Stand To Gain $20K In Stock Annually, Exceeding $525K In Total Compensation
Investing $1,000 In Walmart IPO:Walmart offered shares for $16.50 on Oct. 1, 1970 for its IPO. A $1,000 investment could have purchased 60.61 shares of Walmart stock.
Over the years, Walmart had had 11 2-for-1 stock splits, doubling the number of shares on each occasion. The 60.61 shares would have turned into 124,129.28 shares after the stock splits.
The $1,000 investment in Walmart stock at IPO would be worth $20,785,447.94 today based on a price of $167.45 for Walmart at the time of writing.
This represents a strong hypothetical return and doesn't take into account the quarterly dividend payments that Walmart has paid out since 1974 that would add to the overall return.
Walmart recently announced it would be splitting shares again. While a stock split doesn't mean the valuation will go up, it could continue a tradition of the company growing its stock price and valuation over time.
Read Next: Analysts Adjust Walmart Estimates: Mixed Responses To Q3 Results with Focus On Sales Growth & Expense Concerns
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FAQs
The $1,000 investment in Walmart stock at IPO would be worth $20,785,447.94 today based on a price of $167.45 for Walmart at the time of writing.
How much is $1000 invested in Walmart in 1980? ›
An investment of $1,000 at the start of 1980 would be worth over $1.9 million today. Watch Walmart stock trade in real time here.
How much was Walmart's IPO? ›
The first offering, on October 1, 1970, was $16.50 per share. Since then, Walmart stock has split two-for-one 11 times. That means a person who bought 100 shares for $1,650 in 1970 would, 40 years later, have 204,800 shares, worth about $17 million. Quarterly dividends have been paid continuously since 1973.
How do I find out how much Walmart stock I have? ›
Stock Information for Private Investors
If you are a private investor and wish to access your personal Walmart stock information, including how to sell or purchase stock, account history, and address changes, please call a Computershare, Transfer Agent at 1-800-438-6278.
Is WMT a good long-term investment? ›
WMT boasts a Growth Style Score of A and VGM Score of A, and holds a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) rating. Its bottom-line is projected to rise 6.3% year-over-year for 2025, while Wall Street anticipates its top line to improve by 3.6%. Nine analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days for fiscal 2025.
What if you invested $1,000 in Walmart 10 years ago? ›
And if you had put $1,000 into Walmart a decade to grow, it would have more than doubled and risen to $2,390 as of Feb. 21, according to CNBC's calculations.
How much was $1000 in Walmart stock 1970 today? ›
The 60.61 shares would have turned into 124,129.28 shares after the stock splits. The $1,000 investment in Walmart stock at IPO would be worth $20,785,447.94 today based on a price of $167.45 for Walmart at the time of writing.
Who owns the biggest stock in Walmart? ›
What percentage of Walmart (WMT) stock is held by institutional investors? Jim Walton owns the most shares of Walmart (WMT).
Who owns the largest share of Walmart? ›
Jim Walton, Alice Walton, and Rob Walton are the top three individual shareholders of Walmart. Walmart's largest institutional investors include the John T. Walton Estate Trust, Vanguard Group, and BlackRock.
Who has the biggest share in Walmart? ›
The Walton family owns about 45% of Walmart's outstanding shares through the trust and their main investment vehicle, Walton Enterprises, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Alice, Jim and Rob Walton have a combined fortune of $274 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Manage your account using the Associate Stock Purchase app, (Associate Stock Purchase app) or online at Computershare.com/Walmart. If you have questions, talk to a Computershare representative at 800-438-6278. You can keep your account open as long as you want.
Should I buy Walmart stock right now? ›
Is WMT a Buy, Sell or Hold? Walmart has a conensus rating of Strong Buy which is based on 25 buy ratings, 3 hold ratings and 0 sell ratings. The average price target for Walmart is $65.73. This is based on 28 Wall Streets Analysts 12-month price targets, issued in the past 3 months.
Will Walmart stock split in 2024? ›
30, 2024 — Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) announced that it will conduct a split of its outstanding shares of common stock at a ratio of 3:1. The stock split is part of Walmart's ongoing review of optimal trading and spread levels and its desire for its associates to feel that purchasing shares is easily within reach.
Is Walmart a good stock to buy 2024? ›
Trading plan for 2024
the key support levels: 164.74, 151.25, 134.59, 115.82, 91.79; the key resistance levels: 181.16, 195.81, 212.43; Walmart's stock will most likely continue to evolve in an uptrend in 2024. The buyer will hold the price within the range of a bullish trend.
What will Walmart stock be worth in 2025? ›
Walmart stock price stood at $60.14
| Year | Mid-Year | Year-End |
|---|
| 2024 | $79.47 | $104.39 |
| 2025 | $106.68 | $108.86 |
| 2026 | $111.90 | $118.51 |
| 2027 | $120.24 | $133.77 |
8 more rowsStock Price Forecast
The 29 analysts with 12-month price forecasts for Walmart stock have an average target of 62.77, with a low estimate of 54.33 and a high estimate of 76. The average target predicts an increase of 4.37% from the current stock price of 60.14.
What was Walmart stock worth in 1980? ›
The closing price for Walmart (WMT) in 1980 was $0.05, on December 31, 1980. It was up 82.8% for the year. The latest price is $59.27.
What if $10,000 invested in Walmart in 1980? ›
If you had bought $10,000 worth of WMT in 1980, today you would own 74,472 shares worth $3.9 million dollars. Your yearly dividend check would be $108,729.
How much did Walmart stock cost in 1982? ›
The closing price for Walmart (WMT) in 1982 was $0.15, on December 31, 1982. It was up 135.4% for the year. The latest price is $59.52.
How much was Walmart stock in 1985? ›
The closing price for Walmart (WMT) in 1985 was $0.40, on December 31, 1985. It was up 68.6% for the year.
