Walmart Inc. WMT, the world’s largest retailer, is set to hit a significant milestone by joining the Nasdaq-100 index on Jan. 20, 2026, highlighting its evolution from a traditional brick-and-mortar retailer into a tech-driven global enterprise. Nasdaq has confirmed that Walmart will be added to the Nasdaq-100, along with related benchmarks such as the Nasdaq-100 Equal Weighted and Nasdaq-100 Ex-Tech indexes, before markets open on the first trading day after the third Friday of January. As part of the routine index rebalancing, British drugmaker AstraZeneca PLC AZN will be removed.
Over the last three sessions, since Jan. 7, while AZN’s stock has lost 1.6%, WMT’s stock has picked up 4.7% as the news has gained ground. In the last session itself, on Jan. 12, WMT gained 3% and AZN lost 1.1%. Both currently carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The move follows Walmart’s strategic decision to shift its stock listing from the New York Stock Exchange to Nasdaq’s Global Select Market in late 2025, ending a more than 50-year association with the NYSE. The transition, completed in December, was widely seen as a symbolic step toward aligning the retailer with Nasdaq’s technology-focused investor base and its advanced trading ecosystem.
The Nasdaq-100 represents the 100 largest non-financial companies listed on Nasdaq. WMT’s large market capitalization and strong trading liquidity make it a suitable addition, while its inclusion also reflects changing perceptions of the company. Long associated with low-price groceries and everyday essentials, Walmart has steadily expanded its digital capabilities, investing in AI-powered shopping tools, automation across its supply chain and strategic partnerships with technology firms to enhance online and in-store experiences. Investor response to the announcement has been favorable, with WMT’s shares rising as passive funds and index-tracking investors prepare to rebalance their portfolios.
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AstraZeneca PLC (AZN): Free Stock Analysis Report Walmart Inc. (WMT): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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