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GOOGL vs. WMT: Alphabet vs. Walmart Stock Comparison

How do Alphabet (GOOGL) and Walmart (WMT) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Alphabet (GOOGL) is classified in the Communication Services sector (Media & Entertainment), whereas Walmart (WMT) belongs to Consumer Staples (Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail) — their GICS classifications point to very different parts of the market.

Company profile comparison for Alphabet (GOOGL) and Walmart (WMT)
Profile ItemGOOGLWMT
NameAlphabet Inc. Class A Common StockWalmart Inc.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorCommunication ServicesConsumer Staples
GICS Industry GroupMedia & EntertainmentConsumer Staples Distribution & Retail
GICS IndustryInteractive Media & ServicesConsumer Staples Distribution & Retail
GICS Sub-IndustryInteractive Media & ServicesConsumer Staples Merchandise Retail
Market Capitalization3,501.09 billion USD998.90 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNasdaqNasdaq
Listing DateAugust 19, 2004August 25, 1972
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

GOOGL
WMT
GSPC
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Alphabet (GOOGL) vs. Walmart (WMT), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Alphabet (GOOGL) and Walmart (WMT). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Alphabet (GOOGL) and Walmart (WMT). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Alphabet (GOOGL) and Walmart (WMT)
MetricGOOGLWMT
Total Return (1Y)4.89%23.19%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)31.25%33.27%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)14.61%21.72%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

GOOGL
WMT
GSPC
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Alphabet (GOOGL) vs. Walmart (WMT), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Alphabet (GOOGL) and Walmart (WMT). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Alphabet (GOOGL) and Walmart (WMT)
MetricGOOGLWMT
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)33.67%26.96%
Beta (5Y)1.200.52
Max Drawdown (5Y)-44.32%-25.74%
Avg. Volume (3M)28.79M23.66M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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GOOGL and WMT are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. Each dashed Capital Allocation Line uses that stock's own industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Alphabet (GOOGL) and Walmart (WMT)
MetricGOOGLWMT
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.020.70
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.031.00

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Alphabet (GOOGL) at 44.29% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Walmart (WMT) at 22.31% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for GOOGL.

GOOGL

Media & Entertainment industry group

44.29%

Max
49.92%
GOOGL
44.29%
Q3
17.95%
Median
7.20%
Q1
-4.53%
Min
-26.31%

WMT

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group

22.31%

Max
33.48%
WMT
22.31%
Q3
22.31%
Median
15.57%
Q1
7.66%
Min
-2.27%
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Alphabet (GOOGL) vs. Walmart (WMT): A comparison of their ROE against their respective Media & Entertainment and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

Net Margin (TTM)

Alphabet (GOOGL) at 50.03% converts revenue to bottom-line profit above its industry’s benchmark range, while Walmart (WMT) at 3.00% keeps roughly the typical share for its industry.

GOOGL

Media & Entertainment industry group

50.03%

GOOGL
50.03%
Max
32.91%
Q3
11.75%
Median
5.04%
Q1
-4.17%
Min
-25.14%

WMT

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group

3.00%

Max
5.45%
Q3
3.42%
WMT
3.00%
Median
2.44%
Q1
1.86%
Min
-0.06%
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Alphabet (GOOGL) vs. Walmart (WMT): A comparison of their net margin against their respective Media & Entertainment and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Alphabet (GOOGL) at 31.81% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Walmart (WMT) at 3.45%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

GOOGL

Media & Entertainment industry group

31.81%

Max
40.16%
GOOGL
31.81%
Q3
18.72%
Median
8.63%
Q1
1.90%
Min
-22.08%

WMT

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group

3.45%

Max
6.81%
Q3
5.49%
Median
3.84%
WMT
3.45%
Q1
2.00%
Min
0.97%
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Alphabet (GOOGL) vs. Walmart (WMT): A comparison of their operating margin against their respective Media & Entertainment and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Alphabet (GOOGL) and Walmart (WMT)
MetricGOOGLWMT
ROE (TTM)44.29%22.31%
ROA (TTM)12.74%6.41%
Net Margin (TTM)50.03%3.00%
Operating Margin (TTM)31.81%3.45%
Gross Margin (TTM)60.86%24.84%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Alphabet (GOOGL) at 15.09% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Walmart (WMT) at 4.73% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for GOOGL.

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Alphabet (GOOGL) vs. Walmart (WMT): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both Alphabet (GOOGL) at 34.45% and Walmart (WMT) at 13.28% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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Alphabet (GOOGL) vs. Walmart (WMT): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Alphabet (GOOGL) and Walmart (WMT)
MetricGOOGLWMT
Revenue Growth (YoY)15.09%4.73%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)12.51%5.27%
EPS Growth (YoY)34.45%13.28%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)33.34%24.25%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Alphabet (GOOGL) at 2.79 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while Walmart (WMT) at 0.77 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — different working-capital profiles, both worth examining.

GOOGL

Media & Entertainment industry group

2.79

Max
4.69
GOOGL
2.79
Q3
2.53
Median
1.52
Q1
0.95
Min
0.28

WMT

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group

0.77

Max
2.04
Q3
1.45
Median
1.17
Q1
1.00
WMT
0.77
Min
0.69
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Alphabet (GOOGL) vs. Walmart (WMT): A comparison of their current ratio against their respective Media & Entertainment and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Alphabet (GOOGL) at 0.22 and Walmart (WMT) at 0.72 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

GOOGL

Media & Entertainment industry group

0.22

Max
3.65
Q3
1.69
Median
0.46
GOOGL
0.22
Q1
0.17
Min
0.00

WMT

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group

0.72

Max
2.59
Q3
1.83
Median
1.24
WMT
0.72
Q1
0.63
Min
0.01
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Alphabet (GOOGL) vs. Walmart (WMT): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against their respective Media & Entertainment and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Alphabet (GOOGL) and Walmart (WMT)
MetricGOOGLWMT
Current Ratio (MRQ)2.790.77
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.220.72
Net Debt / EBITDA-0.621.44

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Alphabet (GOOGL) at 0.30% and Walmart (WMT) at 0.76% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.

GOOGL

Media & Entertainment industry group

0.30%

Max
1.33%
Q3
0.65%
GOOGL
0.30%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

WMT

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group

0.76%

Max
2.90%
Q3
1.72%
WMT
0.76%
Median
0.43%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Alphabet (GOOGL) vs. Walmart (WMT): A comparison of their dividend yield against their respective Media & Entertainment and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Alphabet (GOOGL) at 4.49% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while Walmart (WMT) at 34.96% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.

GOOGL

Media & Entertainment industry group

4.49%

Max
71.43%
Q3
28.98%
GOOGL
4.49%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

WMT

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group

34.96%

Max
57.98%
WMT
34.96%
Q3
30.05%
Median
11.72%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Alphabet (GOOGL) vs. Walmart (WMT): A comparison of their payout ratio against their respective Media & Entertainment and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Alphabet (GOOGL) and Walmart (WMT)
MetricGOOGLWMT
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.30%0.76%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)4.49%34.96%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Alphabet (GOOGL) at 14.87 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Walmart (WMT) at 45.48 sits in the richer quartile — WMT needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.

GOOGL

Media & Entertainment industry group

14.87

Max
51.21
Q3
28.90
Median
17.98
GOOGL
14.87
Q1
11.53
Min
1.64

WMT

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group

45.48

Max
50.75
WMT
45.48
Q3
33.64
Median
22.19
Q1
16.09
Min
9.28
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Alphabet (GOOGL) vs. Walmart (WMT): A comparison of their P/E ratio against their respective Media & Entertainment and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Both Alphabet (GOOGL) at 7.43 and Walmart (WMT) at 1.36 command a richer price per dollar of sales than most peers, sitting in the upper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.

GOOGL

Media & Entertainment industry group

7.43

GOOGL
7.43
Max
7.43
Q3
3.82
Median
1.40
Q1
0.70
Min
0.00

WMT

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group

1.36

Max
1.54
WMT
1.36
Q3
0.81
Median
0.47
Q1
0.26
Min
0.02
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Alphabet (GOOGL) vs. Walmart (WMT): A comparison of their P/S ratio against their respective Media & Entertainment and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Both Alphabet (GOOGL) at 5.31 and Walmart (WMT) at 10.15 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.

GOOGL

Media & Entertainment industry group

5.31

Max
11.45
GOOGL
5.31
Q3
5.30
Median
1.84
Q1
0.77
Min
-2.61

WMT

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group

10.15

WMT
10.15
Max
10.15
Q3
6.27
Median
3.70
Q1
1.85
Min
0.93
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Alphabet (GOOGL) vs. Walmart (WMT): A comparison of their P/B ratio against their respective Media & Entertainment and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Alphabet (GOOGL) and Walmart (WMT)
MetricGOOGLWMT
P/E Ratio (TTM)14.8745.48
P/S Ratio (TTM)7.431.36
P/B Ratio (MRQ)5.3110.15
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)-0.03%0.71%