The cheapest way to buy Walmart (WMT) stock is with a good broker and plan. In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to put it all together.
Buying WMT shares might seem like a daunting process — especially if you’re a newer trader. That’s why we’ve written a step-by-step guide to walk you through the process and help you understand the most affordable way to buy Walmart stock.
If you look at Walmart’s chart, you might think it isn’t cheap anymore. I like to say that the best time to start trading was 20 years ago — but the second best time is today.
Let’s get into it…
How to Buy Walmart Stock (NYSE: WMT)
Here are five simple steps to buy Walmart stock.
1. Open a Brokerage Account that Lets You Trade Walmart Stock
Any U.S. broker should let you trade Walmart stock. In addition to letting you trade Walmart shares, a good broker will provide educational materials, research tools, and quick executions.
Pay attention to commissions and fees when choosing a broker. This may be the difference between a profitable trade and a losing one.
I give some good tips on choosing a broker in this video:
One of my top criteria for choosing a broker is their trading platform. I use StocksToTrade, which will let you trade with the most popular brokers.
StocksToTrade has assembled the best charts, the most versatile screeners, the most probing news scanners, and more to create a one-stop trading machine. I think it’s the best way to trade.
Try StocksToTrade today — only $7 for a 14-day trial!
2. Decide on Your Investment Goals and Risk Tolerance
Are you saving for retirement? Or are you looking for short-term returns?
Trading Walmart stock has to fit your investment goals. Hitting your goals is why you’re trading in the first place!
Walmart stock is what is called a “growth stock.” It’s a sector leader and projects to keep growing…
But it can be volatile too. That’s not great if you can’t afford to lose some or all of your investment.
3. Do Research on Walmart Stock
There are two main types of research you can do on a stock: fundamental and technical analysis. Some traders and investors use one type of analysis more than the other, but both are important to understand:
- Fundamental analysis involves looking at the value of the company and stock. This can involve looking at the company’s financial reports, revenue, dividends, and fundamental indicators like price-to-earnings ratio. These fundamentals help you understand the underlying value of the stock, which may eventually be reflected in the stock’s actual price.
- Technical analysis involves looking at a stock’s chart. Chart patterns can help you identify trends that fly under the radar, and find trading opportunities that others don’t see.
In addition, you should keep on top of Walmart news, as well as sector and macro-economic developments.
Upcoming events like product launches or earnings reports can massively affect a stock’s value. Larger pieces of news or developments that affect the company or sector can also be powerful catalysts.
4. Build Your Walmart Stock Trading Plan
A trading plan will help you focus on your goals, and avoid impulsive moves. Your trading plan could be long-term or short, but it should always focus on your goals.
A good trading plan should include:
- Entry. The price you want to buy Walmart stock at.
- Risk. The amount of money you’re willing to risk losing.
- Goal. The amount of money you want to make on your trade.
Here’s my guide to building a trading plan.
If you’re investing, your goals and risk will be different. They may be for your position to grow by a certain percentage each year…
Even if you’re intending to hold Walmart stock long-term, I think you should still have a clear risk outlined to safeguard your gains. You can always buy more Walmart stock — as long as you still have the money to do so!
5. Place Your Walmart Stock Order
Once you have a good plan, it’s time to put it into action by placing your Walmart stock order.
There are a few steps to this:
- Place a buy limit order. You should always place limit orders, as opposed to market orders. This way you’ll be sure that your actual entry matches your trading plan.
- Set a stop-loss. You should always have a stop-loss set, even if it’s just mental. I recommend a physical stop-loss if you can’t watch the market every day.
- Follow your trading plan. It’s tempting to adjust your trading plan on the fly. But a wishy-washy trading plan is a poor foundation for sustainable success.
Should You Buy Walmart Stock?
You should buy Walmart stock if it fits your investment goals, and your research indicates that there’s an opportunity.
Through much of the past three years, Walmart stock has been at all-time highs. Some analysts think it’s in a clear uptrend, others think it’s due for a pullback.
I like the fact that it’s at all-time highs. That’s the first step on the way to creating new all-time highs.
There are other growth stock options out there! Check out our guides on the cheapest way to buy Apple (AAPL) stock, Facebook (META) stock, and Google (GOOGL) stock.
Pros of Buying WMT Stock
There are a number of advantages to buying Walmart stock.
- It’s Grown its E-Commerce Business: Walmart is the second-leading e-commerce brand in the U.S., adding enough to its overall take to stay neck-and-neck with Amazon in the retail space.
- 50 Years of Dividend Growth: If you’re an income-focused investor, Walmart’s commitment to increasing its dividends will be a bonus to its uptrending chart.
- Supply Chain Advantages: Walmart’s strong supply chain helps it to thrive even in recessions.
Cons to Buying WMT Stock
Here are the cons you should weigh when making this decision…
- They’re a Distant Second in E-Commerce: As much as Walmart grew their e-commerce business in recent years, Amazon put their growth to shame. This lead only seems to be growing.
- Its Dividend Yield Percentage Is Dropping. While the real-money payout is still rising, the dividend percentage has dropped to less than half its 2015 yield.
- Razor-Thin Profit Margins: Retail has always been a low-margin business, but margins are getting squeezed even more as Walmart navigates recessions and increased labor force scrutiny.