How Much Is Walmart Worth? (More That You Think…)

With 10,500+ stores in 26 countries all over the world, Walmart is among the largest and most well-known retail corporations with its signature blue buildings and endless rows and columns of products.

Given the huge scale of operations and the 2+ million employees Walmart has, you may be left wondering – how much is Walmart worth? Here is everything I’ve discovered about Walmart’s worth, revenue, and overall business!

How Much Is Walmart Worth?

The Walmart corporation is worth $395 billion. On average, Walmart generates a staggering average revenue of over $500 billion per year with operating costs of around $492 billion, earning anywhere from $15-23 billion in annual profits. 

If you want to learn more about Walmart’s history of growth and expansion, who are the owners of Walmart, and why it is worth so much, keep on reading!

Why Is Walmart Worth So Much?

Despite its current size, Walmart is only growing and introducing more opportunities to bring in new sources of revenue.

One of the reasons that it is worth so much is the sheer number and variety of assets, divisions, and services Walmart has invested in.

For example, Walmart has a large number of stores in many countries such as Brazil, Canada, China, and Chile, while in other countries it has bought local retail chains like Massmart, Flipkart, and Seiyu Group.

It also has a diversified portfolio of services such as Walmart-2-Walmart, Walmart MoneyCard, and Walmart Financial Services to bring in even more revenue.

Because of all this, the business grows at an average rate of 2-3% per year and is responsible for many assets, stores, chains, and more, which all contribute to this stunning growth rate.

As Walmart further invests in the latest ways of cutting costs and implementing new technology, we are likely to see these numbers rise even further.

How Many Stores and Employees Does Walmart Have?

Walmart owns a total of 11,443 stores across the world and employs 2.3 million individuals worldwide, with over 1.5 million in the United States itself, making it the largest private employer in the world.

The corporation spends around 7% of its yearly operating budget on the hiring process alone which equals over $35 million.

You can get an idea of the number of people Walmart employs by the fact its U.S. workforce alone outnumbers the entire population of Trinidad and Tobago.

In recent years, Walmart has been investing in automation to streamline the day-to-day processes for employees and consumers.

This includes automated check-out registers and a more robust online infrastructure. Employees are also due to benefit from an expected wage raise in the coming years as a result of their long-term growth.

What Is Walmart’s Presence Around The World?

Why Walmart Is Worth So Much?

Walmart operates in 26+ countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Chile, and China. While many of these stores carry the flagship Walmart branding, some operate under different names.

Additionally, Walmart also operates other retail outlets in the United States itself:

  • Sams Club in the United States, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, which itself generated sales of $57 billion with over 599 stores
  • ASDA in the UK, which Walmart attempted to merge with retail brand Sainsbury in 2018 in a $7 billion deal, which was blocked by regulators
  • Other international ventures include Jumbo Cash and Carry in Africa and Superama in Mexico

Walmart’s policy is that its stores must be large enough to hold its vast catalog of goods and be located in areas that attract large populations.

This may seem to make opening new locations a challenge, but Walmart has found ways to mitigate these obstacles through various methods like purchasing and refitting existing store outlets.

Other than that, Walmart is also known to open smaller neighborhood locations to complement its supercenters.

To learn more, you can also see our related posts on the list of companies that Walmart owns.

What Is Walmart’s Revenue and Operating Income?

Walmart is a family-owned and publicly traded company with an operating income of $22.55 billion, which it sustains year after year.

It currently has a market cap of $395 billion and a volume of 1,870,142 shares.

The leading retail chain makes a majority of its revenue through the kinds of goods its sells which are often priced cheaper than competitors but also feature a large assortment of luxury brands as well.

These goods include everything from electronics, furniture, and home goods to groceries, food, clothes, toys, and auto equipment.

Walmart’s success could be attributed to the public image that whenever a consumer needs an item, they will most likely find it at a nearby Walmart location.

To put how big Walmart is into perspective, the sales of Walmart in a year can surpass the GDP of some entire nations such as Ireland, with Walmart’s entertainment sales earning more than the US box office.

Another astounding fact is that the population of the 50 smallest nations in the world equals that of the number of individuals employed by Walmart across the world.

How Did Walmart Grow and What Is It Like Now?

The first Walmart store was opened in 1962 by Sam Walton, with the Walton family still currently owning the majority of Walmart Corporation.

Since it was founded, Walmart has grown exponentially and has continued to raise its total worth by vast amounts:

  • In its first five years, Walmart brought in over $9 million in revenue with 18 stores in the Arkansas area
  • Walmart opened itself to the stock market in 1970 and got listed on the New York Stock Exchange at a price of $47 per share
  • By the year 2000, it was listed as the number one largest corporation in the United States with a revenue of over $219 billion

Today, Walmart has exceeded these numbers by a substantial degree, even when accounting for inflation and population growth.

Although Walmart has faced heavy competition from stores like Amazon, Target, and Kmart in the past few years, it has still managed to persist and grow at an exponential rate nonetheless.

Who Owns Walmart?

Presently, the Walton family owns 50.85% of the company and together has a net worth of $215 billion.

The family’s shares and ownership interests are managed by the institutional investors Walton Enterprises LLC and the Walton Family Holdings Trust.

S. Robert Walton holds the largest stake in the company currently with over 2.6 billion shares. Since 2009, the company has been led by CEO Doug McMillon, the fifth CEO in the company’s tenure.

Individuals can purchase shares in Walmart as it is a publicly-traded company.

Walmart’s daily volume is over 9 million shares and the average price per share was around $100 in 2020, with its value continuing to grow over time due to its solid brand image in the world.

To learn more, you can see our related post on the Walton family net worth.

If you want to learn more about Walmart, you can see our related posts on the meaning of Walmart’s logo, Walmart’s statistics, and how much money Walmart makes in a second, minute, hour, day, and month!

Where Could Walmart Go In The Future?

Currently, Walmart is exploring options that may lead to further growth in the future.

In the past few years, they have invested more in the online space, allowing shoppers to place orders online and receive them without stepping out of their vehicles.

Walmart also expects to raise wages for employees and invest more in supply chains and automation.

As it continues to expand its reach both locally and internationally, Walmart will likely keep its records of being the largest employer and having the largest revenue in the world for the foreseeable future.

Conclusion

Walmart generates yearly revenue of more than $500 billion, earning between $15-23 billion in profits after its operating costs which come round to $492 billion. With more than 11,000 stores and 2.3 million employees in 26+ countries, it is the largest employer on the planet. It was founded by the Walton family, which currently holds a 50.85% majority stake in the total value of the company.

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Marques Thomas

Marques Thomas graduated with a MBA in 2011. Since then, Marques has worked in the retail and consumer service industry as a manager, advisor, and marketer. Marques is also the head writer and founder of QuerySprout.com.

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