Walmart Inc. (WMT)[Tv]

Key Developments

• Walmart retains $2.9 billion tariff refund despite public promise to pass savings to consumers, sparking bipartisan political backlash, calls for class-action litigation, and a serious reputational crisis that undermines its “everyday low price” brand ethos.
• U.S. Justice Department expands antitrust probe into meatpacking practices, formally subpoenaing Walmart—alongside Amazon, Costco, and Kroger—requiring six years of pricing and purchasing data, signaling potential structural reforms or forced divestitures.
• Walmart launches landmark $1.4 billion power purchase agreement (PPA) with Constellation Energy, becoming the first non-utility company to secure the largest nuclear energy deal in history, marking a transformative pivot toward energy security and ESG leadership.
• Estée Lauder lawsuit allowed to expand beyond 17 counterfeit products after a California judge rejected Walmart’s dismissal motion, exposing systemic failures in third-party seller oversight and threatening massive legal liabilities and brand integrity.
• Walmart Connect retail media revenue grows 43% YoY, with retail media business surging 38% YoY, signaling a pivotal shift toward a high-margin, data-driven platform model powered by AI and first-party data integration.