If you are interested in investing, you may want to know if Walmart is considered a private company or a publicly traded company.
So, is Walmart available for regular consumers to invest in? If you’d like to find out, keep reading through this article to see what I learned!
Is Walmart a Publicly Traded Company?
Walmart has been a publicly traded business on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: WMT) since the 1970s and remains to this day. While anyone can buy shares and create a financial interest in the company, you should consult with a financial advisor to answer questions you may have and help you set up a financial portfolio you can afford.
If you’d like to learn more about why Walmart is a publicly traded company, when the Walmart IPO began, who owns the most Walmart stock, and more, keep reading for more information!
Is Walmart a Public Or Private Company?
Due to Walmart locations being privately owned, you may think that Walmart is also private as a corporation. However, this is a false assumption, as Walmart has been a publicly traded business since the 1970s.
Since August 1972, Walmart has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: WMT). However, the company has been public since 1970.
Why Is Walmart a Public Company?
As the small family-owned Walmart began to open more and more new stores, the owners found they needed additional revenue to grow into other locations.
According to founder Sam Walton, “ (Borrowing money from banks) had gotten me into debt to every bank in Arkansas and southern Missouri.”
Because increasing debt could not be the best business practice for a new company, the company eventually decided the best way to get money and enable continued expansion was to take the company public.
When Did The Walmart IPO Begin, and How Much Was the First IPO?
In October 1970, Walmart filed its initial public offering (IPO) for 300,000 shares, enabling consumers to purchase a share for only $1.65, and by the time the company was listed on the stock exchange, this value had quadrupled.
What Was the Associate Profit Share Program?
Within a year of their IPO (1971), Walmart’s founders began a program that allowed the company’s associates to also benefit from the company going public.
Therefore, when a Walmart Associate invested in the Walmart Profit Share program, they could grow their stock portfolio and increase their wealth.
Who Owns the Most Walmart Stock?
Currently, the top six owners of Walmart stock are:
- Robson Walton: Son of Sam Walton, owns 2,615,810 shares
- Marc E. Lore: President and Chief Executive of Walmart’s e-Commerce division, owns 1,952, 743
- Douglas McMillon: originally began working for Walmart in the transportation division, and he is now a top executive, owns 1,274,758 shares
- Walton Enterprises, LLC.: private holding company controlling the Walton Family interest in Walmart, owns 35% of total shares
- Walton Family Holdings Trust: owned by Walton Family and used to fund charitable contributions, Owns 15% of shares
- Vanguard Group Inc.- Mutual Fund and ETF company, owns 4.9% of shares
How Can You Buy Walmart Stock?
If you’re interested in investing in Walmart stock, consider signing up for one of the online brokers, such as Robinhood or Public App.
While investing in high-profile companies like Walmart isn’t easy, it’s highly recommended that potential investors utilize one of the above options, as they will be given more assistance and be able to invest properly.
How Can I Create an Order To Buy Walmart Stock?
Either platform will allow you to create an order or “trade ticket” for Walmart stock (NYSE: WMT). Follow the below steps to create a trade ticket:
- Input Walmart’s trade call name (WMT)
- Choose a dollar amount you can afford to purchase shares
- Choose either a market or limit order. Market orders allow purchases to be made anytime despite the current stock market price, whereas Limit orders are not purchased until the stock meets a set price.
How Can I Find Out How Walmart Stock Is Performing?
When it comes to investing in stocks, companies like Walmart are perfect for long-term investors.
Walmart’s brand name is one of the strongest brands in most countries they operate in. In fact, Historical data shows that Walmart stock has been strong since it initially entered in the 1970s.
The stock market is an ever-changing place with new businesses popping up every day, but Walmart has been around since 1962, and most investors would agree that their investment is safe with them.
Suppose you are interested in reviewing the past performance of Walmart in the stock market, then historical data may be researched on the Walmart Stock webpage.
Begin by finding the section near the bottom of the page titled “Historical Stock Quote.” In this space, you can enter a target lookup date to see how stocks performed at that time.
Not only does this provide a glimpse of how stocks perform on a given day, but you can also check several days to see how consistent the stock has been over time.
To learn more about Walmart, you can also read our related posts on when Walmart restocks, what is a Walmart Neighborhood Market, and Walmart statistics.
