Is Walmart Worth $1 Trillion? WMT & AMZN Earnings Plus a Streaming Wars Update: The Weekly Sift Stack - 2.17.2026 (Issue 14)

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Index Tracker Year-To-Date Performance 2.13.2026 Market Close:

• S&P 500 TR: (0.21)% - Price: 6,836.17

• NASDAQ TR: (2.93)% - Price: 22,546.67

• Russell 2000 TR: 6.04% - Price: 2,646.70

• MSCI International EAFE TR: 7.66% - Price: 11,416.74

• Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index TR: 1.28% - Price: 2,378.92

• 10-Year Treasury Yield: 4.056%

• 30-year Mortgage Rate: 6.09%

• Gold: 16.24% - Price: $5,046.30 per oz.

• Bitcoin: (24.07)% - Price: $66,371.50

• U.S. Dollar Index: (0.22)% - Price: 96.88

• Crude Oil: 5.73% - Price: $60.71 per barrel

• Core Inflation 1.31.2026:

  • Year Over Year: 2.5%

  • Month Over Month: 0.3%

• Consumer Price Index 1.31.2026

  • Year Over Year: 2.4%

  • Month Over Month: 0.2%

Index Tracker Notes:

The S&P 500 was down the previous week with almost a 2% decline, as we see further rotation out of large U.S. tech Stocks. We are also seeing the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index up 1.28% Year-To-Date, as positive news with cooling inflation continue to lead to declines in bond yields.

Stock of The Week: Walmart (WMT)

For those that caught last week’s podcast, you may remember us telling you that there is a new king in annual revenue, Amazon surpassed over $716 billion in sales in 2025. So today, we want to focus on the company that held that longtime #1 revenue spot for the last 13 years… Walmart!

Walmart is set to announce earnings Thursday 2/19/2026 before the bell

Walmart is the largest private employer in the United States and has a wide moat in an industry that is extremely difficult to attain such status and cost advantages. The company has been able to master what so many consumer staples companies have not been able to attain… discretionary spending. As any long-term consumer staple investor knows, you’ve got to love those private label brands. Walmart dominates the industry with over 21% of the market share in the grocery sector, nearly tripling both Kroger and Costco. Over recent years, Walmart has been able to successfully grow its market share as price sensitive consumers have navigated the recent high-inflation environment.

Trillion Dollar Question: Is A Grocery Store Worth Buying at a Trillion Dollars?

4 Things to look out for on the upcoming Walmart Earnings Call

1. Total Revenue & Revenue Growth: Will they leap frog Amazon?

2. Same Store Sales Growth

3. Margins & Cost Control: In one of the tightest margin industries, Walmart has always been able to maintain high margins, look to make sure there is no margin pressure as inflation, wage pressure, and supply chain headwinds continue looming.

4. Future Outlook: Predictions for the above 3 but also what capital expenditures, dividends, and share repurchases look like.

Walmart (WMT) Key Facts

• CEO: John Furner

• Founded in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas by Sam & Bud Walton

• Market Cap: $1.02 Trillion

• Sector: Consumer Defensive - Discount Stores

• 52-week range: $79.81-$134.69

• Morningstar Economic Moat Rating: Wide

• PE Ratio: 45.11

Walmart (WMT) vs SPDR Shares S&P 500 ETF (SPY) over the past 5-years

Weekly Insight: Netflix’s 1-Week Hall Pass

Netflix is currently “engaged” to Warner Bros. Discover (WBD), but they just gave WBD a 7-day waiver to go on a date with Paramount Skydance (PSKY). It’s a 1-week window for Paramount to prove their cash offer is better.

The Bidding War: Paramount has been offering $30 per share, but they just hinted they’d go up to $31 if WBD takes them seriously. Netflix isn’t impressed, calling the whole thing a series of “antics” designed to distract shareholders.

Regulatory Red Flags: Neither deal is a slam dunk. Regulators are worried a Netflix deal creates a streaming monopoly, while Paramount’s deal is under fire for being funded by foreign sovereign wealth funds.

The Final Rose: The drama officially ends on March 20th, when WBD shareholders hold a special meeting to vote on their future.

Takeaways from the Anheuser Busch (BUD) Earnings Call

Since the Anheuser-Busch earnings call, the stock price is down about 1% but up about 25% Year-To-Date as of afternoon 2/17/2026.

The “Steady Sipper” Award

Anheuser-Busch is like that one friend who always shows up on time and never misses a beat but isn’t exactly looking to start a mosh pit. They consistently beat earnings expectations (shoutout that $0.95 EPS!), but their actual revenue and income are basically chilling on a lounge chair.

The Vibe

Revenue was technically down 0.8% on a reported basis ($59.3b total), proving that while they are efficient, they are not exactly in the growth spurt phase.

$80 Billion Weight Loss Journey

Bud is officially making it work! Their net debt-to-EBITDA ratio just dropped to 2.87x - first time that its been under the 3x mark since 2015. The company is starting to see their toes again.

Poll Question

Last week’s poll results - “What’s your favorite Anheuser Busch?”

1. “Bud Light” and “Michelob Ultra” - Tied at 31% Vote

2. “Budweiser” & “I’m Sober” - Tied at 19% Vote

   

Quote Of The Week

“If we can, we’ll lower the cost of living for everyone… give the world an opportunity to see what it’s like to save and have a better lifestyle and a better life for all.”

-Walmart Founder, Sam Walton

Last Week’s YouTube Episode:

Feel free send feedback or further input on the poll question to [email protected] or [email protected]. We would love to hear from you!