Walmart’s shares jumped more than 3% on heavy volume following the announcement that it will join the Nasdaq-100 index on January 20. The stock has outperformed peers, gaining roughly 30% over the past 12 months and hitting fresh record highs. With a market capitalization just under $1 trillion as of the last close, Walmart now sits within striking distance of the trillion-dollar club and will replace a member of the pharmaceutical sector in the tech-heavy benchmark.

Executives have emphasized a shift from traditional brick-and-mortar retail to a technology-driven enterprise. In the latest quarter, global online sales climbed 27% year-over-year, driven by expansion of the Walmart+ subscription service and new partnerships with AI leaders such as Google and OpenAI. Artificial intelligence tools are now deployed for inventory replenishment and demand forecasting across more than 4,700 U.S. stores, and the company has completed 12 stock splits since its 1970 IPO, highlighting a long history of shareholder returns through strategic capital management.

Walmart is scaling its drone delivery pilot in partnership with Wing, targeting 150 launch sites by year-end and potentially 270 by next year. Current operations can deliver up to five-pound packages within a six-mile radius, and the project could eventually serve 40 million consumers by 2027. If regulatory approvals continue apace, a significant portion of Walmart’s 4,600 U.S. locations could offer same-day drone service, reducing reliance on traditional delivery trucks and lowering per-order fulfillment costs.