If You Bought 1 Share of Walmart at Its IPO, Here’s How Many Shares You’d Own Now

For years, stock splits have been one of the most exciting trends on Wall Street.

A stock split is a method used by publicly traded companies to alter both their share price and number of shares in circulation, multiplicatively. This adjustment doesn’t influence the company’s total market value or operational efficiency.

Companies that perform forward stock splits, aimed at lowering the share price to make it more accessible for common investors, often exhibit superior performance. This is a fact that Walmart’s shareholders, being the giants they are in the retail sector (symbol WMT), are acutely aware of.

Walmart’s stock-split history is a marvel

Walmart’s first public stock offering (initial public offering or IPO) took place on October 1, 1970, with each share priced at $16.50. Over the past almost 55 years since its IPO, this retail giant has undergone a total of 12 forward stock splits.

May 1971: 2-for-1 stock split
March 1972: 2-for-1
August 1975: 2-for-1
November 1980: 2-for-1
June 1982: 2-for-1
June 1983: 2-for-1
September 1985: 2-for-1
June 1987: 2-for-1
June 1990: 2-for-1
February 1993: 2-for-1
March 1999: 2-for-1
February 2024: 3-for-1

If you had invested just $16.50 in a single share of Walmart stock during its Initial Public Offering (IPO), it would be equivalent to owning 6,144 shares today, valued at approximately $586,076 (excluding any dividends). That’s quite a substantial return!

Walmart’s competitive edge is on full display

One reason why Walmart holds such a strong position is due to its immense scale. By purchasing items in large quantities, it significantly lowers the cost per unit, enabling it to sell below the prices of many local and even national supermarkets. This competitive pricing strategy is hard for most other retailers to replicate, making Walmart’s value proposition tough to beat.

Beyond just being large, Walmart is also focusing on innovation and digital advancements to boost profits. By utilizing automation and AI-enhanced supply chains, as well as expanding its premium Walmart+ membership service, it’s seeing positive growth indicators.

For over half a century, Walmart has consistently raised its dividends (which currently continues), indicating that it’s not planning on decelerating any time soon.

2025-07-20 10:57

Walmart’s stock-split history is a marvel

Walmart’s competitive edge is on full display

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