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BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Walmart (WMT), the retail giant with annual revenue exceeding $693 billion and a prominent position in the Consumer Staples sector, announced a suite of new AI-powered tools and seller incentives during its "Let’s Grow!" Marketplace Seller Summit on Tuesday, aimed at helping third-party sellers grow faster and reach more customers. According to InvestingPro data, the company maintains strong market momentum with a 27.6% return over the past year.
The retail giant introduced AI-powered listing tools designed to reduce time to market and a Smart Assistant that provides 24/7 support. Walmart is also expanding its fulfillment capabilities, offering Next-Day Delivery in major metropolitan areas including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston and Atlanta. This expansion builds on the company’s solid 4.23% revenue growth over the last twelve months.
To boost sales during the upcoming holiday shopping season, Walmart unveiled several incentives for sellers, including zero percent referral fees on qualifying toys, a 50 percent referral fee reduction on qualifying pet supplies, and up to 100 percent referral fee reductions on select top-selling items across categories.
"Walmart has become one of the fastest-growing eCommerce platforms by focusing on what matters most: integrity, seller success and delivering exceptional experiences for customers," said Manish Joneja, senior vice president of Walmart U.S. Marketplace and Walmart Fulfillment Services.
The company also highlighted its omnichannel strategy, noting that it has begun featuring QR codes in some stores that allow customers to access an extended online assortment, including Marketplace items.
According to Walmart, sellers using its fulfillment services see an average 50 percent increase in gross merchandise value on items tagged as "Walmart Fulfilled" and "2-Day Shipping." The company claims its fulfillment costs are approximately 15 percent lower than competitors.
The announcements come as Walmart continues to expand its e-commerce presence and compete with other major online marketplaces. The initiatives were detailed in a press release issued by the company. With 17 analysts recently revising their earnings estimates upward, InvestingPro analysis suggests strong market confidence in Walmart’s strategic direction. For deeper insights into Walmart’s valuation and growth potential, investors can access the comprehensive Pro Research Report, available exclusively to InvestingPro subscribers.
In other recent news, Walmart has entered a significant expansion of its partnership with Ranpak Holdings Corp., which involves installing Ranpak AutoFill™ systems across five new Next Generation Fulfillment Centers. This expansion builds on the existing implementation at Walmart’s McCordsville, Indiana location, with new installations planned for Pennsylvania, Illinois, Texas, and California. In terms of financial analysis, several investment firms have maintained their positive outlook on Walmart. KeyBanc reiterated its Overweight rating with a price target of $110, following a discussion with Walmart’s executives. TD Cowen also reaffirmed its Buy rating, setting a price target at $115, citing strong comparable sales and consistent trends. Despite a recent profit miss attributed to non-core items, RBC Capital maintained its Outperform rating with a $106 price target, noting potential operating profit growth when excluding specific liabilities. DA Davidson has kept its Buy rating with a $117 price target, observing a change in Walmart’s approach to tariff-related pricing. These developments highlight ongoing strategic and financial activities surrounding Walmart.
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