WMT vs AMZN: Walmart vs Amazon Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Walmart and Amazon are the two dominant forces in US retail, but they are increasingly different businesses. Walmart is a physical-first retailer building digital layers; Amazon is a technology-first company where cloud computing (AWS) and advertising generate the majority of operating profit. The comparison is as much tech vs retail as it is e-commerce vs e-commerce.
Use this WMT vs AMZN comparison to distinguish between a retail franchise digitising itself and a technology company that also runs the world's largest marketplace. Amazon's profit engine is cloud and ads; Walmart's is grocery dominance and membership. Both are quality compounders — the choice is between their different growth drivers.
AMZN holds the edge across 4 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. WMT has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+22.94% vs +14.82%), though AMZN trades at the lower forward P/E (24.94x vs 36.16x). AMZN leads on both revenue growth (16.60%) and operating margin (13.14%), suggesting a stronger fundamental setup on both dimensions. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for AMZN (+27.14%) than for WMT (+16.02%).
- →Want the world's largest grocery and everyday essential retailer with defensive revenue characteristics
- →Value Walmart+'s growing membership and advertising as durable high-margin layers
- →Prefer a more defensive, lower-beta consumer staples-adjacent holding in a portfolio
- →Believe Walmart's physical store network is an enduring advantage in omnichannel retail
- →Want exposure to the world's largest cloud provider (AWS) combined with the dominant US marketplace
- →Value advertising as a compounding high-margin revenue stream alongside cloud growth
- →Prefer a technology-oriented holding that happens to also lead in e-commerce
- →Are comfortable with higher near-term capex as Amazon invests heavily in AI infrastructure
| Metric | WMT | AMZN |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 54.1 | 62.1 |
| AI rank | #297 | #145 |
| Latest close | $119.83 | $245.22 |
| 1M return | -8.13% | -10.07% |
| 6M return | +4.10% | +6.84% |
| 1Y return | +22.94% | +14.82% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | WMT | AMZN |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $12.3K (+23.0%) started 2025-06-09 | $11.3K (+13.0%) started 2025-06-09 |
| 5Y ago | $28.92K (+189.2%) started 2021-06-09 | $14.95K (+49.5%) started 2021-06-09 |
| 10Y ago | $71.01K (+610.1%) started 2016-06-09 | $67.4K (+574.0%) started 2016-06-09 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | WMT | AMZN |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $946.06B | $2.65T |
| Trailing P/E | 41.86 | 31.66 |
| Forward P/E | 36.16 | 24.94 |
| Price/Sales | 1.14 | 3.49 |
| EV/Revenue | 1.40 | 3.69 |
| Analyst target | $137.93 | $312.79 |
| Target upside | +16.02% | +27.14% |
| Metric | WMT | AMZN |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 7.30% | 16.60% |
| Earnings growth | 19.40% | 74.80% |
| EPS growth | +19.40% | +74.80% |
| FCF margin | +0.95% | +1.32% |
| Operating margin | 4.22% | 13.14% |
| Profit margin | 3.14% | 12.22% |
| ROIC proxy | 24.13% | 24.29% |
| Return on equity | 24.13% | 24.29% |
| Dividend yield | 0.83% | N/A |
| Beta | 0.60 | 1.44 |
| Debt/equity | 74.82 | 53.30 |
| Current ratio | 0.77 | 1.18 |
| Quick ratio | 0.19 | 0.97 |
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | WMT | AMZN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | +22.97% | +13.02% |
| CAGR | +23.07% | +13.07% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.81 | 0.41 | |
| Max drawdown | 15.75% | 21.74% | |
| Max daily drop | 7.27% | 8.27% | |
| Max wkly drop | 11.67% | 14.09% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +173.23% | +49.47% |
| CAGR | +22.28% | +8.37% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.83 | 0.28 | |
| Max drawdown | 25.74% | 56.15% | |
| Max daily drop | 11.38% | 14.05% | |
| Max wkly drop | 19.49% | 20.35% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +495.28% | +574.01% |
| CAGR | +19.54% | +21.03% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.73 | 0.61 | |
| Max drawdown | 25.74% | 56.15% | |
| Max daily drop | 11.38% | 14.05% | |
| Max wkly drop | 19.49% | 20.35% |
| Category | WMT | AMZN |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Walmart Inc. | Amazon.com, Inc. |
| Sector | Consumer Defensive | Consumer Cyclical |
| Industry | Discount Stores | Internet Retail |
| Core business | World's largest retailer by revenue. Operates Walmart US, Sam's Club, and Walmart International. Growing digital revenue streams include Walmart+ membership, Walmart Connect advertising, Walmart GoLocal delivery, and marketplace seller fees. | Global technology and retail company. Revenue pillars include North America e-commerce, International e-commerce, and Amazon Web Services (AWS). High-margin businesses include advertising, Prime, third-party seller services, and AWS. |
| Investor focus | Same-store sales growth, Walmart+ subscriber count, advertising revenue ramp (Walmart Connect), marketplace GMV growth, and margin improvement from higher-margin digital businesses. | AWS revenue growth and margin expansion, advertising revenue compounding, North America retail margin improvement, and AI infrastructure investment ROI. |
- →World's largest physical store network with unmatched grocery and everyday essential distribution
- →Walmart+ membership is building a recurring revenue stream comparable in concept to Amazon Prime
- →Advertising and marketplace are high-margin growth layers on top of the core retail business
- →AWS is the world's largest cloud provider — the dominant engine of Amazon's profitability
- →Advertising is a $50B+ annual business with structurally high margins growing faster than core retail
- →Prime ecosystem creates exceptional customer loyalty and unmatched logistics infrastructure
- →Valuation has re-rated significantly higher — Walmart now trades at a premium multiple unusual for a traditional retailer
- →International segment performance is uneven across markets
- →E-commerce profitability remains a work in progress at the unit economics level
- →Heavy AI and data center capex is compressing near-term free cash flow
- →International e-commerce remains unprofitable in many markets
- →Regulatory scrutiny of marketplace practices, logistics, and AWS market position
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