Key Stock Developments on Thursday: Factors That May Influence the Market in the Upcoming Trading Session
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Aug 20 2025
0mins
Should l Buy WMT?
Source: CNBC
Walmart Earnings Report: Walmart is set to release its quarterly earnings on Thursday, with shares having increased nearly 5% over the past three months but down 2.6% from its 52-week high.
Workday Performance: Workday will report its earnings after the market closes on Thursday, with its stock experiencing a decline of nearly 17% in the last three months and down 22% from its December peak.
Disney CEO Appearance: Disney's CEO Bob Iger will appear on "Squawk on the Street," as Disney shares are currently 6% below their 52-week high, despite being up 30% over the past year.
Federal Reserve Discussions: CNBC's senior economics reporter will cover key topics at Jackson Hole, including interest rates and potential controversies involving Federal Reserve officials, along with weekly jobless claims data.
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Analyst Views on WMT
Wall Street analysts forecast WMT stock price to fall
26 Analyst Rating
25 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 127.910
Low
119.00
Averages
125.75
High
136.00
Current: 127.910
Low
119.00
Averages
125.75
High
136.00
About WMT
Walmart Inc. is a technology-powered omnichannel retailer. The Company is engaged in the operation of retail and wholesale stores and clubs, as well as eCommerce Websites and mobile applications, located throughout the United States (U.S.), Africa, Canada, Central America, Chile, China, India and Mexico. It operates in three reportable segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam's Club U.S. The Walmart U.S. segment includes the Company's mass merchandising concept in the U.S., as well as eCommerce, which includes omni-channel initiatives and certain other business offerings such as advertising services. The Walmart International segment consists of the Company's operations outside of the U.S. through its subsidiaries, as well as eCommerce and omni-channel initiatives. The Sam's Club U.S. segment includes the warehouse membership clubs in the U.S., as well as samsclub.com and omni-channel initiatives.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Walmart's High Valuation Raises Investment Risks
- Strong Earnings Report: Walmart recently posted earnings that exceeded market expectations on both revenue and net income; however, the stock did not surge, indicating investor concerns about its inflated valuation.
- Price Surge vs. Growth Rate: Over the past three years, Walmart's stock price has increased by 170%, yet its average growth rate has only been around 5%, leading to a current P/E ratio of 47, which appears excessively high.
- Attraction of Safe Investments: Amidst a trend of investors flocking to traditional safe assets like gold and silver, Walmart's performance as a blue-chip stock has been relatively strong, but this does not imply that its current price is justifiable.
- Cautious Investment Advice: Despite Walmart's solid business fundamentals, analysts recommend that investors exercise caution in purchasing at this high valuation, suggesting that there are better value investment opportunities available in the market.
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- E-commerce Competitive Edge: Walmart's leadership in the U.S. e-commerce space allows it to attract customers with prices lower than most competitors, further solidifying its market share even amidst a challenging retail environment.
- Moderna's Vaccine Progress: Moderna's investigational personalized cancer vaccine, mRNA-4157, has shown strong efficacy in preventing recurrence or death in melanoma patients when combined with Merck's Keytruda over five years, marking a significant advancement for the company in the biotech field.
- Future Growth Potential: Although Moderna faces challenges with declining sales of its COVID-19 vaccine, the potential of its mRNA platform and upcoming new vaccines are expected to drive strong revenue growth and stock market performance in the coming years, promising substantial returns for investors.
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- Walmart's Market Performance: Over the past six months, Walmart has demonstrated impressive growth despite tariff-related challenges, showcasing its resilience in the retail environment, particularly through its low-price promise that attracts significant foot traffic.
- E-commerce Competitiveness: As a leading e-commerce player in the U.S., Walmart maintains a pricing advantage, allowing it to continue attracting consumers even as everyday item prices rise, thereby enhancing its market share.
- Moderna's Vaccine Progress: Moderna's investigational personalized cancer vaccine, mRNA-4157, has shown strong efficacy in preventing recurrence or death in melanoma patients when combined with Merck's Keytruda, and is expected to gain approval within the next few years.
- Innovation and Financial Outlook: Despite facing declining sales, Moderna's mRNA platform and upcoming new vaccines are poised to improve financial performance, potentially driving strong revenue growth in the medium term.
See More
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- Hardware Specifications: The new MacBook Neo features a 13-inch display and is powered by the A18 Pro chip, which, while less powerful than the M-series, offers a lightweight metal body and colorful options that appeal to younger users' preferences.
- Market Positioning: This move is aimed at re-entering the education and budget markets, especially as Mac revenue fell nearly 7% to $8.39 billion during the holiday quarter, indicating the company's renewed focus on low-cost product lines.
- Pre-order and Launch: The MacBook Neo is available for pre-order starting Wednesday and will officially launch on March 11, expected to attract a significant number of first-time buyers and further boost Apple's market share in the highly competitive laptop sector.
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- Global Tariff Implementation: Treasury Secretary Bessent announced that the Trump administration will implement a 15% global tariff this week, which could significantly impact international trade relations, particularly with major trading partners.
- Tariff Rate Recovery Prediction: Bessent predicts that after the Supreme Court invalidated some of Trump's tariffs, U.S. tariff rates will return to previous levels within five months, potentially affecting domestic market price stability.
- Legal Basis for Replacement Tariffs: The new tariffs are being implemented under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, with a 150-day validity period unless Congress approves an extension, which may create uncertainty in trade policy and affect long-term business planning.
- Legal Challenges and Enforcement Strength: Bessent noted that despite facing over 4,000 legal challenges, the new tariffs have strong enforcement capabilities, which could impact import prices in the short term, thereby affecting consumer spending and economic growth.
See More
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- High Customer Satisfaction: With renewal rates exceeding 90%, Costco's executive members account for nearly half of total membership yet contribute 74% of total sales, highlighting the critical role of membership in profitability.
- Stable Sales Growth: For the first quarter of fiscal 2026 (ending November 23, 2025), Costco reported an 8.2% year-over-year sales increase, with a 14% rise in fee income and a 5.2% membership growth, demonstrating resilience in a high-inflation environment.
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See More
Walmart's High Valuation Raises Investment Risks
- Strong Earnings Report: Walmart recently posted earnings that exceeded market expectations on both revenue and net income; however, the stock did not surge, indicating investor concerns about its inflated valuation.
- Price Surge vs. Growth Rate: Over the past three years, Walmart's stock price has increased by 170%, yet its average growth rate has only been around 5%, leading to a current P/E ratio of 47, which appears excessively high.
- Attraction of Safe Investments: Amidst a trend of investors flocking to traditional safe assets like gold and silver, Walmart's performance as a blue-chip stock has been relatively strong, but this does not imply that its current price is justifiable.
- Cautious Investment Advice: Despite Walmart's solid business fundamentals, analysts recommend that investors exercise caution in purchasing at this high valuation, suggesting that there are better value investment opportunities available in the market.
See More
Walmart and Moderna's Long-Term Investment Prospects
- Walmart's Market Performance: Despite facing tariff-related cost pressures, Walmart has demonstrated impressive performance over the past six months, with a market cap of $1 trillion, showcasing its strong resilience and appeal in the retail sector, especially as consumer demand for low prices rises.
- E-commerce Competitive Edge: Walmart's leadership in the U.S. e-commerce space allows it to attract customers with prices lower than most competitors, further solidifying its market share even amidst a challenging retail environment.
- Moderna's Vaccine Progress: Moderna's investigational personalized cancer vaccine, mRNA-4157, has shown strong efficacy in preventing recurrence or death in melanoma patients when combined with Merck's Keytruda over five years, marking a significant advancement for the company in the biotech field.
- Future Growth Potential: Although Moderna faces challenges with declining sales of its COVID-19 vaccine, the potential of its mRNA platform and upcoming new vaccines are expected to drive strong revenue growth and stock market performance in the coming years, promising substantial returns for investors.
See More
Walmart and Moderna's Long-Term Investment Prospects
- Walmart's Market Performance: Over the past six months, Walmart has demonstrated impressive growth despite tariff-related challenges, showcasing its resilience in the retail environment, particularly through its low-price promise that attracts significant foot traffic.
- E-commerce Competitiveness: As a leading e-commerce player in the U.S., Walmart maintains a pricing advantage, allowing it to continue attracting consumers even as everyday item prices rise, thereby enhancing its market share.
- Moderna's Vaccine Progress: Moderna's investigational personalized cancer vaccine, mRNA-4157, has shown strong efficacy in preventing recurrence or death in melanoma patients when combined with Merck's Keytruda, and is expected to gain approval within the next few years.
- Innovation and Financial Outlook: Despite facing declining sales, Moderna's mRNA platform and upcoming new vaccines are poised to improve financial performance, potentially driving strong revenue growth in the medium term.
See More
Apple Launches First Budget MacBook Neo at $599
- Significant Price Cut: Apple has launched the MacBook Neo starting at $599, nearly halving the previous lowest price of $999 for a MacBook, aimed at attracting budget-conscious consumers and students, thereby enhancing its competitiveness in this segment.
- Hardware Specifications: The new MacBook Neo features a 13-inch display and is powered by the A18 Pro chip, which, while less powerful than the M-series, offers a lightweight metal body and colorful options that appeal to younger users' preferences.
- Market Positioning: This move is aimed at re-entering the education and budget markets, especially as Mac revenue fell nearly 7% to $8.39 billion during the holiday quarter, indicating the company's renewed focus on low-cost product lines.
- Pre-order and Launch: The MacBook Neo is available for pre-order starting Wednesday and will officially launch on March 11, expected to attract a significant number of first-time buyers and further boost Apple's market share in the highly competitive laptop sector.
See More
U.S. 15% Global Tariff Set to Be Implemented This Week
- Global Tariff Implementation: Treasury Secretary Bessent announced that the Trump administration will implement a 15% global tariff this week, which could significantly impact international trade relations, particularly with major trading partners.
- Tariff Rate Recovery Prediction: Bessent predicts that after the Supreme Court invalidated some of Trump's tariffs, U.S. tariff rates will return to previous levels within five months, potentially affecting domestic market price stability.
- Legal Basis for Replacement Tariffs: The new tariffs are being implemented under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, with a 150-day validity period unless Congress approves an extension, which may create uncertainty in trade policy and affect long-term business planning.
- Legal Challenges and Enforcement Strength: Bessent noted that despite facing over 4,000 legal challenges, the new tariffs have strong enforcement capabilities, which could impact import prices in the short term, thereby affecting consumer spending and economic growth.
See More
Costco Faces Rare Underperformance Amid Strong Business Metrics
- Membership Model Advantage: Costco stands out in the retail market with its unique membership model, boasting nearly 1,000 stores and $280 billion in annual sales, maintaining a leading position despite competition from BJ's and Walmart.
- High Customer Satisfaction: With renewal rates exceeding 90%, Costco's executive members account for nearly half of total membership yet contribute 74% of total sales, highlighting the critical role of membership in profitability.
- Stable Sales Growth: For the first quarter of fiscal 2026 (ending November 23, 2025), Costco reported an 8.2% year-over-year sales increase, with a 14% rise in fee income and a 5.2% membership growth, demonstrating resilience in a high-inflation environment.
- Increasing Market Concerns: Despite Costco's reliable growth, the market is worried about the sustainability of sales growth, particularly with a slight dip in renewal rates and a premium P/E ratio of 54, significantly above the three-year average of 49, potentially limiting short-term stock price upside.
See More
