Walmart Inc. (WMT) shares climbed to fresh all-time highs Monday as Black Friday online sales shattered records, powered partly by the rise of AI shopping assistants that are changing how consumers hunt for deals.
The Black Friday Breakdown
American shoppers dropped $11.8 billion online during Black Friday, marking a 9.1% jump from last year, according to Adobe Analytics data tracking activity across 1 trillion retail site visits. The split between online and physical stores tells an even more interesting story: e-commerce sales jumped 10.4% while in-store sales crawled ahead by just 1.7%, per Mastercard SpendingPulse.
Here's where things get wild. Adobe reported that AI-driven traffic to U.S. online retail sites surged 805% compared to last year, boosted by new shopping tools like Walmart's Sparky and Amazon's Rufus. Globally, AI and digital agents influenced $14.2 billion in Black Friday online sales, including $3 billion in the U.S. alone.
"Consumers are using new tools to get to what they need faster," explained Suzy Davidkhanian, an eMarketer analyst. "Gift giving can be stressful, and LLMs make the discovery process feel quicker and more guided."
The momentum isn't stopping. Adobe projects Cyber Monday will hit $14.2 billion in sales, up 6.3% from last year and positioned to become the biggest online shopping day of 2025. Electronics are expected to see the steepest discounts at up to 30%, with strong deals on apparel and computers as well.
Technical Picture Looking Strong
Walmart shares are showing serious strength, trading about 7.4% above their 50-day moving average and roughly 13.8% above the 200-day moving average. When a stock sits comfortably above both short-term and long-term averages like this, it signals sustained bullish momentum.
Monday's trading volume reached 7.6 million shares, reflecting healthy investor participation. That's important because it means the price gains are backed by genuine buying interest rather than thin trading conditions that can produce misleading moves.
The stock hit new highs Monday, with the previous peak of $110.70 now functioning as a critical support level. If Walmart pulls back, that level could provide a cushion against deeper declines.
Shares were up 0.82% at $111.42 Monday, marking a fresh 52-week high. For a massive retailer like Walmart, breaking into uncharted territory during the holiday shopping season sends a pretty clear message about investor confidence in the company's e-commerce strategy.
