Walmart CEO Stepping Down: What It Means for WMT Stock

Benzinga

Walmart just announced that longtime CEO Doug McMillon will retire at the end of January after leading the company since 2014. John Furner, the current CEO of Walmart U.S., will take over on February 1 as the retail giant enters what leadership calls an “AI-driven transformation.”  McMillon’s retirement surprised many investors because Walmart has continued to outperform competitors in 2025 — with shares up roughly 13% this year and nearly 300% over his decade-long leadership. According to the company, McMillon will remain in an advisory role through 2027.  Walmart has remained remarkably stable even as the U.S. consumer landscape splits between high-income shoppers and everyone else. On the last earnings call, McMillon said customer behavior has been consistent and resilient.  This video breaks down what the leadership change means for Walmart, its stock, and the future of AI-powered retail.

Transcript

00:00Walmart just shocked the world but not for the reasons you might think. See, its longtime CEO

00:05Doug McMillan is stepping down after more than a decade at the top. And the company announced

00:10Friday that McMillan will retire at the end of January. But this wasn't expected. Walmart is

00:16performing better than almost any retailer in America right now. And John Ferner, currently

00:21the CEO of Walmart US, will take over on February 1st. But McMillan, who's been CEO since 2014

00:28and only the fifth chief executive in Walmart's 63-year history, will stay on as an advisor

00:34through 2027. You see, under McMillan, Walmart stocks surged roughly 300%. And even in 2025,

00:42shares are already up around 13%. He says Ferner is uniquely capable of leading Walmart into its

00:48next big transformation, an AI-driven retail era. However, even as America's consumer spending splits

00:55between high-income shoppers and everyone else, Walmart has held steady. On its August earnings

01:01call, McMillan said customer behavior has remained consistent with no dramatic shifts. So what do you

01:07think? Is this the start of Walmart's next growth chapter or the end of an era?

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