{
  "id": 17427991,
  "title": "Is Walmart the Safest Stock to Own if the Tech Sell-Off Gets Worse?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/is-walmart-the-safest-stock-to-own-if-the-tech-sell-off-gets-worse",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-31T15:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Motley Fool",
    "slug": "motley-fool",
    "url": "https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/10/31/walmart-safest-stock-own-if-tech-sell-off/?source=iedfolrf0000001"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "When market turmoil or economic slowdowns hit, savvy investors often turn to the stability of consumer staples stocks such as Walmart. Throughout history, Walmart's stock has often outperformed the broader market during corrections, bear markets, high inflation periods, and tough economic times due to its lower-priced goods. The store attracts a diverse customer base, from budget-conscious shoppers to higher earners who prefer not to overpay. During the 2022 bear market, when inflation was rampant, Walmart's stock dropped only 2%, compared to the S&P 500's 19% decline and the Nasdaq Composite's 33% drop. In the 2008 recession, Walmart rose 18% while the S&P 500 fell 38% and the Nasdaq lost 40%. Similarly, during 2002 when the S&P 500 dropped 23% and the Nasdaq fell 31%, Walmart only declined 12%. Currently, the tech-focused Nasdaq is down about 4% to approximately 26,470, while Walmart has surged in October, up 9% since September 30, boosting its year-to-date return to 13%. While Walmart is generally a solid defensive investment, it has benefitted from a strong run over the past three-plus-year bull market, outperforming both the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 with an average annualized total return of about 32% over the past three years. Walmart has successfully pivoted to cater to higher-income customers through store improvements, inventory, and online shopping, taking market share from competitors like Target. However, this success comes with a high valuation, trading at around 43 times earnings, much higher than its 10-year average of 32 and its forward P/E of 36. With modest earnings growth estimates of 9% for fiscal 2027 and 11% for fiscal 2028, Walmart's high valuation may not be sustainable. While Walmart exhibits many characteristics to perform well during downturns, it's currently overvalued, making it less than ideal as the safest stock to own if things take a turn for the worse.",
  "summary": "Walmart is typically a great defensive stock, but...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Nasdaq Markets",
        "title": "Is Walmart the Safest Stock to Own if the Tech Sell-Off Gets Worse?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/is-walmart-the-safest-stock-to-own-if-the-tech-sell-off-gets-worse-17429355",
        "published": "2026-10-31T15:50:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}