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Walmart Stock Surges 20% in 2026: Should Investors Buy Ahead of Earnings?

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WMT Stock Card

TLDR

  • Walmart stock has gained 20.18% in 2026, outperforming the S&P 500 and Dow Jones indices.
  • Walmart became the first retailer to reach a $1 trillion market capitalization.
  • Analysts have a ‘Strong Buy’ rating for Walmart stock, but price targets suggest limited growth.
  • Walmart stock is expected to retrace slightly, with a 12-month target price of $133.04.
  • The company has exceeded earnings per share forecasts in three of the last four quarters.

Walmart (NYSE: WMT), one of the top-performing blue-chip stocks of 2026, is set to release its next quarterly earnings report on February 19. Investors are closely monitoring whether Walmart stock remains a solid buy ahead of the event. The retail giant has recently achieved impressive growth, making it a standout in a challenging market.

Walmart Stock Recent Performance

Walmart stock has surged 20.18% in 2026, outpacing both the S&P 500 and Dow Jones indices. In contrast, the broader market has struggled, with the S&P 500 declining by 0.33% and the Dow Jones rising by just 2.31%. This strong performance is raising questions about whether the stock can continue to climb or if a pullback is imminent.


WMT Stock Card
Walmart Inc., WMT

The retailer’s market capitalization recently crossed $1 trillion, making it the first retailer to reach this milestone. Despite its success, there are concerns about the stock’s high valuation, especially ahead of its upcoming earnings report. A slight miss in earnings could trigger a correction, similar to what occurred with Microsoft’s stock after its latest report.

Wall Street remains largely positive on Walmart stock, with an average rating of ‘Strong Buy.’ However, analysts’ 12-month price targets suggest that the stock may see only modest growth. Walmart stock is expected to retrace 0.63%, with a target price of $133.04 in the next year.

Several analysts have raised concerns about potential pullbacks despite the positive outlook. Bernstein’s Zhihan Ma recently maintained a ‘Buy’ rating but forecasted a drop to $129. Similarly, Citi’s most bullish forecast of $147 suggests just a 9.79% increase from current levels. These predictions indicate that even optimistic estimates expect limited upside for the stock in the near term.

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The Outlook for Walmart’s Earnings Report

Ahead of its earnings report, Walmart’s strong performance in recent quarters offers some reassurance. The company has exceeded earnings per share (EPS) forecasts in three of the last four quarters, increasing the likelihood of another beat. Walmart’s diversified business model, which includes e-commerce and technology, positions it well in both favorable and unfavorable economic conditions.

Even if the economy faces a downturn, Walmart’s reputation for offering ‘great value’ prices could drive continued consumer demand. This defensive nature of Walmart’s business model has contributed to its strong performance, making it a relatively safe investment in uncertain times.

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Dogecoin price eyes a steeper dive as headwinds rise

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Dogecoin price dropped for two consecutive days after hitting the 50-day Exponential Moving Average as demand dropped and key headwinds rose.

Summary

  • Dogecoin price has slumped in the past few months.
  • Spot DOGE ETFs inflows have stalled this year.
  • The futures open interest has continued falling, while the funding rate has turned negative.

Dogecoin (DOGE) token dropped to the important support level at $0.100, much lower than this month’s high of $0.1176. It remains ~67% from its highest level in 2025.

The coin faces major headwinds, which may drag its price in the near term. For example, it faces a major challenge on the ongoing crypto market crash, which has affected Bitcoin and most altcoins.

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Additionally, the futures open interest has continued falling in the past few months, moving from a high of $5.20 billion in September to the current $1.16 billion. Falling open interest is a sign that demand has continued falling in the past few months.

More data shows that the weighted funding rate has remained in the red in the past few days. It dropped to the lowest level since February 10. A falling funding rate is a sign that investors believe that the coin will continue falling in the near term.

The same is happening in the exchange-traded fund market this year. Data compiled by SoSoValue shows that spot three spot DOGE ETFs by companies like Grayscale, 21Shares, and Bitwise have not had any inflows or outflows since February 3 this year. These funds now have had over $6.67 million in cumulative inflows, bringing the net inflows to $8.69 million.

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Dogecoin price technical analysis 

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DOGE price chart |Source: crypto.news 

The daily timeframe chart shows that the DOGE price has been in a strong downward trend in the past few months, moving from a high of $0.3073 in September last year.

Dogecoin price has dropped below the key support level at $0.1295, its lowest level on April 7 last year. It has fallen below all moving averages, while the Percentage Price Oscillator remains below the zero line.

Therefore, the most likely scenario is where the coin continues falling, potentially to the year-to-date low of $0.0790, its lowest level this month. A drop below that support level will signal more downside.

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Google’s Gemini AI Predicts the Price of XRP, Solana and Bitcoin By the End of 2026

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Feeding Google’s Gemini AI careful prompts unlocks explosive 2026 price predictions for XRP, Solana, and Bitcoin.

Given the fact that Gemini leverages Google’s expansive data set, these compelling predictions are grounded in hard analysis of the projects’ fundamental strengths, overall roadmap and ongoing macro and industry developments.

Below we unpack why Gemini is bullish on these specific coins.

XRP ($XRP): Gemini Suggests Ripple’s Payments Solution Could Drive XRP to $10

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In a recent update, Ripple reiterated that XRP ($XRP) remains central to its roadmap of establishing the XRP Ledger as a global, institution-ready payments layer.

gemini ai xrp
Source: Gemini

With near-instant settlement speeds and minimal transaction costs, XRPL is in a position to benefit from growth in two rapidly expanding sectors: stablecoins, (via Ripple’s in-house RLUSD), and real-world asset tokenization.

The XRP token is currently trading around $1.49. Gemini’s outlook points to a potential move toward $10 by late 2026, implying a near-sevenfold gain, or roughly 600%, from current prices.

XRP’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) is at 42 and climbing quickly, a hint that investors are quietly stacking it at its current discounted price.

Possible momentum drivers include institutional capital flows following the approval of U.S.-listed spot XRP exchange-traded funds, Ripple’s expanding list of strategic partnerships, and the possibility of U.S. lawmakers finalizing the CLARITY bill later this year.

Solana (SOL): Gemini Projects a Climb Toward $600

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The Solana ($SOL) network currently secures approximately $6.6 billion in total value locked (TVL) and carries a market capitalization near $50 billion. Increased on-chain activity, developer engagement, and daily user growth have supported its expansion.

The rollout of Solana-linked exchange-traded funds by firms such as Bitwise and Grayscale has further boosted institutional interest.

That said, following an extended correction in late 2025, SOL has spent much of February trading below the $100 level.

Under Gemini’s most optimistic scenario, Solana could rally toward $600 by 2027. Such a move would represent 7x upside from current levels around $84, comfortably exceeding SOL’s January 2025 ATH of $293.

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Asset managers including Franklin Templeton and BlackRock are issuing tokenized real-world assets on the network, strengthening its real-world utility and long-term growth potential.

Bitcoin (BTC): Gemini Sees $250,000 Bitcoin on the Horizon

Bitcoin ($BTC), the original cryptocurrency and largest by market cap, reached a new all-time high of $126,080 on October 6 before entering a prolonged downturn.

Despite recent volatility, Gemini’s analysis indicates that Bitcoin can sustain its year-on-year growth and hit a new high watermark of $250,000.

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Often referred to as digital gold, Bitcoin continues to attract institutional and retail investors seeking a hedge against inflation and macroeconomic uncertainty.

Bitcoin currently represents roughly $1.4 trillion of the $2.4 trillion total crypto market. Since setting its most recent ATH, BTC has fallen by around 46% and now trades below $70,000, following two sharp selloffs as potential U.S. military actions involving Iran and Greenland scared risk averse investors.

Gemini’s outlook highlights accelerating institutional adoption and post-halving supply constraints as key forces that could drive Bitcoin to multiple new highs this year.

Additionally, if U.S. lawmakers move forward with proposals to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, Bitcoin’s long-term upside could extend even beyond Gemini’s already bullish forecasts.

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Maxi Doge: A New Meme Coin Enters the Frame

Finally, while Gemini’s analysis centers on the steady advance of established market leaders, high-risk-high-reward seekers are diversifying their portfolios with Maxi Doge ($MAXI), a sensational new pre-launch token sale that has already pulled $4.6 million from investors.

The project revolves around Maxi Doge, a gym-obsessed, Dogecoin challenger who channels the fun and outrageous spirit of the 2021 bull run, aka the meme coin heyday.

Additionally, presale buyers can stake MAXI for yields of up to 68% APY, with returns gradually declining as the staking pool grows.

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MAXI is priced at $0.0002804 in the current presale round, with planned price increases at each funding milestone. Interested participants can purchase using wallets such as MetaMask and Best Wallet, or via bank card.

Stay updated through Maxi Doge’s official X and Telegram pages.

Visit the Official Website Here

The post Google’s Gemini AI Predicts the Price of XRP, Solana and Bitcoin By the End of 2026 appeared first on Cryptonews.

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Germany‘s Central Bank President Touts Stablecoin Benefits for EU

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Germany‘s Central Bank President Touts Stablecoin Benefits for EU

Joachim Nagel said euro-pegged stablecoins would offer the bloc more independence from US dollar-pegged coins soon to be allowed under the GENIUS Act.

Joachim Nagel, president of Germany’s central bank, the Deutsche Bundesbank, supported the introduction of a euro-pegged central bank digital currency (CBDC) and euro-denominated stablecoins for payments.

In remarks prepared for a speech at the New Year’s Reception of the American Chamber of Commerce in Frankfurt on Monday, Nagel said EU officials were “working hard” toward the introduction of a retail CBDC. Euro-denominated stablecoins, according to the central bank president, could also contribute to “making Europe more independent in terms of payment systems and solutions.”

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“Notably, a wholesale CBDC would allow financial institutions to make programmable payments in central bank money,” said Nagel. “I also see merit in euro-denominated stablecoins, as they can be used for cross-border payments by individuals and firms at low cost.”

Nagel’s remarks come months after US President Donald Trump signed a bill into law establishing a framework for payment stablecoins in the country, potentially setting US dollar-pegged stablecoins on a path to challenge any possible rollout of a euro-pegged peer. The law is expected to be fully implemented 18 months after it was signed or 120 days after related regulations are finalized.

Related: ING Germany expands crypto ETP and ETN offerings with Bitwise, VanEck

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The German central bank president’s comment on stablecoins did not include risks he mentioned last week at the Euro50 Group meeting. Nagel warned domestic monetary policy “could be severely impaired, not to mention that European sovereignty could be weakened” if US dollar-denominated stablecoins were to have significantly larger market share than a euro-pegged coin.

Stablecoin yield at issue in US bill under consideration

Washington lawmakers and White House officials have been meeting with representatives from the banking and crypto industries ahead of a potential vote on the CLARITY Act in the US Senate. The bill, expected to provide a comprehensive regulatory framework for digital assets, has been dividing many crypto industry and banking leaders due to its approach to stablecoin rewards, which has yet to be finalized in the legislation.