Walmart Inc. (WMT.US) is "taking off" again with the help of AI, and may soon enter the trillion-dollar market value club.

As Walmart Inc. (WMT.US) announced a partnership with OpenAI to push its stock price to a historic high, Mizuho Securities analyst David Bellinger stated that the company is poised to join the "trillion-dollar market value elite club". Walmart Inc. is the latest company to announce a partnership with OpenAI. Walmart Inc. stated that customers will be able to shop and purchase items directly through the "instant checkout" feature on the ChatGPT platform. Although this service currently does not include fresh food, users can still purchase packaged food, clothing, and other items from Walmart Inc. and its subsidiary Sam's Club. Additionally, customers can engage in conversational interactions with ChatGPT through the search bar on Walmart Inc.'s main website and Sam's Club's website. Walmart Inc. CEO Doug McMillon stated in a press release, "For years, the e-commerce shopping experience has mainly consisted of a search bar and a long list of product results. That is all about to change. A native AI shopping experience will emerge in the future, which is multimedia, personalized, and contextually aware." OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman expressed excitement about the partnership with Walmart Inc. and hopes to "make everyday shopping a bit simpler". Walmart Inc. did not disclose the amount of this deal, but this partnership is part of the company's broader AI strategy. Doug McMillon stated that the company is quickly moving towards a "happier, more convenient future" through its AI shopping assistant "Sparky" and similar collaborations. Following this news, Walmart Inc.'s stock price surged 5% on Tuesday, marking the largest single-day increase since April. On Wednesday, the stock price rose again by 1.7%, reaching a market value of $869.3 billion. David Bellinger pointed out that this retail giant is "clearly leading the industry, while other companies are lagging behind and even trying to block AI web crawling." He referred to this partnership as a "milestone for agentic commerce". If its market value surpasses $1 trillion, Walmart Inc. will join the ranks of the few companies globally with a market value exceeding $1 trillion. Currently, this group is mostly dominated by technology companies - out of the 11 companies with a market value exceeding $1 trillion, all except Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A.US) and Saudi Aramco come from the technology sector. Citi Group analyst Paul Lejuez stated that the collaboration with OpenAI showcases Walmart Inc.'s ability to "always be at the forefront of technology". While OpenAI has previously partnered with retail platforms like Etsy and Shopify, the partnership with Walmart Inc. holds unique significance. President and founder of Quo Vadis Capital Inc., John Zolidis, also stated, "The market has recognized that Walmart Inc. combining technological capabilities with traditional retail models brings a unique competitive advantage." David Bellinger noted that despite lingering doubts about the future of the US economy, this deal has created a more optimistic technical structure for Walmart Inc.'s stock price. He gave the stock a "buy" rating, stating, "Even with mediocre economic performance, Walmart Inc.'s stock price has upward momentum. Coupled with its early and ongoing innovative initiatives, it becomes a must-have stock in the consumer sector." Data shows that Walmart Inc.'s stock price has performed strongly over the past three years. This retail giant has gained more market share through its low-price strategy, attracting more value-conscious consumers. In 2023, Walmart Inc.'s stock price rose by over 11%; in 2024, it surged nearly 72%, marking the largest annual increase since 1998.