Honestly, if you're looking at Walmart and only seeing a tiny percentage for the yield, you're kinda missing the forest for the trees. Most people see that 0.79% or 0.8% and immediately scroll past to find something "juicier" like a tobacco stock or a REIT. But in the world of retail giants, the wmt stock price dividend story is actually about a massive, steady machine that just doesn't stop.
As of mid-January 2026, Walmart is sitting comfortably with a stock price hovering around $119.20. It’s been a wild ride since the 3-for-1 stock split back in early 2024, which basically reset the board for a lot of retail investors. If you’ve been holding since then, you’ve seen the annual dividend payout climb to $0.94 per share.
Is it going to make you rich overnight? No. But for the 52nd year in a row, they raised that payout. That’s "Dividend King" territory. It’s the kind of reliability that makes a portfolio feel a lot less like a Vegas slot machine and more like a real investment.
Breaking Down the WMT Stock Price Dividend Numbers
Let's get into the weeds for a second because the timing of these payments is everything. Walmart isn't one of those companies that makes you guess. They pay quarterly. For the 2026 fiscal year, we’re looking at a predictable cycle that most seasoned WMT holders have memorized by now.
The last big payment hit accounts on January 5, 2026, which was $0.235 per share. If you were looking to catch that one, you had to be on the books by December 12. If you missed it, the next one is already lined up for April 2026.
The dividend growth rate is where things get interesting. Last year, they hiked the dividend by about 13%. That was a huge jump compared to the 1% or 2% "pity raises" we saw during the late 2010s. It shows that management is actually feeling pretty good about their cash flow, even with the global economy being as weird as it's been lately.
The Real Cost of Growth
You have to look at the payout ratio. Right now, Walmart is paying out about 31% to 32% of its earnings as dividends. That’s a "goldilocks" zone. It’s high enough to show they care about shareholders, but low enough that they aren't starving their own growth. They’re still dumping billions into AI for their supply chain and trying to make sure their e-commerce delivery is faster than anyone else's.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Yield
The 0.79% yield looks "bad" on paper if you compare it to a high-yield savings account or a bond. But you've gotta remember that yield is tied to the price.
When the stock price goes up, the yield looks smaller. WMT stock has been on a tear lately—up about 25% over the last year. If the price keeps climbing toward the analyst targets of $122 or even $140, that yield percentage will stay low even as the actual cash in your pocket grows.
Investors like John David Rainey, Walmart's CFO, keep emphasizing "balanced returns." They aren't just giving you a check; they're buying back shares, too. In 2025 alone, their buyback yield was nearly 1%. When you add the dividend and the buybacks together, the "real" return starts looking a lot better than that headline percentage.
The 2026 Outlook: Is the Price Too High?
A lot of folks are asking if Walmart is "stretched." Trading at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of nearly 40x isn't exactly cheap. Historically, Walmart lived in the 20x range.
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But things changed. Walmart isn't just a grocery store anymore. They are an advertising business. They are a data business. They are a logistics powerhouse.
- The Bull Case: E-commerce grew 27% last quarter. International sales in places like Mexico (Walmex) and India (Flipkart) are booming. If the Fed continues to cut rates in 2026, consumer spending might actually pick up more steam.
- The Bear Case: Tariffs are still a headache for inventory costs. There’s also new legislation regarding pharmacy pricing that could ding their margins in early 2026. If discretionary spending stays flat, that high P/E ratio might start to look a little scary.
Honestly, comparing Walmart to Target right now feels wrong. Target is struggling with its own identity, while Walmart is leaning into the "everyday low price" mantra that wins during tough times. If you want a bargain, you buy Kroger. If you want a fortress, you buy WMT.
How to Play the WMT Stock Price Dividend in 2026
If you’re thinking about jumping in now, don’t just dump your life savings in on a Tuesday. The stock has been known to have short-term pullbacks. We saw it dip toward $111 in early January before bouncing back.
The "smart" move that a lot of pros use is the Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRIP). Because WMT is such a steady climber, letting those quarterly checks automatically buy more fractional shares is how people end up with massive positions 20 years later.
Actionable Next Steps for Investors
- Check the Ex-Dividend Dates: If you want the next payout, mark your calendar for late March. You need to own the stock before the ex-date to get the check.
- Watch the $110 Support Level: If the stock drops below $112, analysts suggest it's a "buy the dip" zone. If it breaks $120 and stays there, we might be looking at a run toward $135.
- Monitor the Margin Shift: Keep an eye on their quarterly reports for "Global Advertising" growth. This is high-margin revenue that funds those dividend increases.
- Evaluate Your Portfolio Balance: WMT has a low beta (around 0.7). It moves less than the market. If you have too much tech (NVDA, AAPL), adding Walmart is like adding an anchor to your boat so you don't drift away during a storm.
Basically, the wmt stock price dividend isn't for the person looking to double their money in six months. It's for the person who wants to sleep at night knowing their money is working in a store that everyone—literally everyone—still visits twice a week.
Keep an eye on the next earnings call in mid-May 2026. That's when we'll see if the pharmacy pricing changes actually hurt or if the AI supply chain wins saved the day again.