Figures as of the Nov 13, 2026 close. Updated after each trading day. Not a recommendation or a forecast.
From May 15, 1997 to the Nov 13, 2026 close, $1,000 in Amazon (AMZN) became $2,723,327 and $1,000 in Walmart (WMT) became $40,329, with dividends reinvested.
From May 15, 1997 to Nov 13, 2026, Amazon grew 30.7% a year and Walmart grew 13.3%. The higher rate, Amazon's, came with wider daily swings. Volatility was 54.9% for Amazon and 24.9% for Walmart. The Sharpe ratio is the yearly return above a fixed 5% risk-free rate, per unit of volatility.
Sharpe ratios were 0.47 for Amazon and 0.34 for Walmart. Over the same dates, the price record shows deepest falls of 94.4% for Amazon and 37.5% for Walmart. From May 16, 1997 to Nov 13, 2026, betas to the S&P 500 were 1.30 for Amazon and 0.64 for Walmart.
The $1,000 in Amazon and the $1,000 in Walmart swapped places 3 times at month ends. The latest swap came at the end of Oct 2001. Since then, the $1,000 in Amazon has been worth more at every month end. Across all 355 month ends, Amazon's value was the higher one at 351 and Walmart's at 4.
At the end of Aug 2020, $1,000 had become $1,762,186 in Amazon and $13,480 in Walmart. In relative terms, that was the widest gap between them at any month end. The $1,000 in Amazon first doubled to $2,000 at a month end in Sep 1997. The $1,000 in Walmart did so in Jun 1998.
The $1,000 in Amazon first stood at $1,000,000 or more at a month end in Aug 2018. The $1,000 in Walmart had not reached $1,000,000 by Nov 2026.
Every row ends at the Nov 13, 2026 close. The "a year" columns give the yearly rate from each start date. The yearly rates were furthest apart over the full span since May 1997. Over that span, Amazon grew 30.7% a year and Walmart grew 13.3%.
The rates were closest over the last 10 years: 22.2% for Amazon and 20.5% for Walmart.
Amazon's rate over the last year, 12.2%, was below its 10-year rate of 22.2%. Walmart's last-year rate, 26.0%, was above its 10-year rate of 20.5%. In every row, $1,000 in Amazon and $1,000 in Walmart both ended above $1,000.
| Period | $1,000 in Amazon | $1,000 in Walmart | Amazon a year | Walmart a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Since both startedfrom May 15, 1997 | $2,723,327 | $40,329 | 30.7% | 13.3% |
| Last 20 yearsfrom Nov 13, 2006 | $133,363 | $12,382 | 27.7% | 13.4% |
| Last 10 yearsfrom Nov 14, 2016 | $7,417 | $6,442 | 22.2% | 20.5% |
| Last 5 yearsfrom Nov 12, 2021 | $1,513 | $2,768 | 8.6% | 22.6% |
| Last yearfrom Nov 13, 2025 | $1,122 | $1,260 | 12.2% | 26.0% |
At the Nov 13, 2026 close, Amazon was 1.8% below its Jul 2026 month-end high. At the same close, Walmart was 2.5% below its Apr 2026 month-end high. On daily closes, the deepest falls of Amazon and Walmart came in the same stretch. Amazon fell 94.4% from Dec 10, 1999 to Sep 28, 2001.
Walmart fell 37.5% from Dec 27, 1999 to Oct 27, 2000. Amazon closed back at its old high on Oct 23, 2009, 8 years after the low. Walmart closed back at its old high on Nov 8, 2011, 11 years after the low. Amazon was 20% or more below its high at 133 of 355 month ends.
Walmart was 20% or more below its high at 90.
The S&P 500's dot-com fall ran from its Mar 24, 2000 high to its Oct 9, 2002 low. Over those dates, Amazon fell 76.8% and Walmart 7.4%. The S&P 500's 2008 fall ran from its Oct 9, 2007 high to its Mar 9, 2009 low. Over those dates, Amazon fell 36.5% while Walmart rose 7.4%.
The S&P 500's COVID fall ran from its Feb 19, 2020 high to its Mar 23, 2020 low. Over those dates, Amazon fell 12.3% and Walmart 2.5%. The S&P 500's 2022 fall ran from its Jan 3, 2022 high to its Oct 12, 2022 low. Over those dates, Amazon fell 33.7% and Walmart 8.2%.
The bars cover 28 full calendar years, 1998 to 2025. Amazon rose in 20 of them and Walmart in 21. Amazon's yearly change was higher in 15 years and Walmart's in 13. Both rose in 15 and both fell in 2. In 11 years, one rose while the other fell.
Amazon's lowest year was 2000 (−79.6%) and Walmart's was 2015 (−26.6%). Both had their highest year in 1998: Amazon +966.4%, Walmart +107.6%. The widest one-year gap between Amazon and Walmart came in 1998, one of the years above. In 2025, the latest full year, Amazon rose 5.2% and Walmart rose 24.5%.
These counts cover 120 full months, Nov 2016 to Oct 2026. Amazon rose in 68 of them and Walmart in 73. Both rose in 48, both fell in 27, and in 45 one rose while the other fell, more than one month in three. Amazon's largest monthly fall was −23.8% in Apr 2022, and Walmart's −15.6% in May 2022.
Amazon's largest monthly rise was +27.3% in Apr 2026, and Walmart's +18.9% in Oct 2026. Amazon's longest run of falling months was 5, ending in Dec 2022. Walmart's longest run of falling months was 5, ending in Sep 2026.
The latest cell is a part month, from the Oct 30, 2026 close to the Nov 13, 2026 close. Over those days, Amazon changed +10.9% and Walmart +3.7%.
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | +3.7 | −12.2 | −0.8 | +27.3 | +2.1 | −11.9 | +13.9 | −4.3 | −4.1 | −3.5 | +10.9 | |
| 2025 | +8.3 | −10.7 | −10.4 | −3.1 | +11.2 | +7.0 | +6.7 | −2.2 | −4.1 | +11.2 | −4.5 | −1.0 |
| 2024 | +2.1 | +13.9 | +2.0 | −3.0 | +0.8 | +9.5 | −3.2 | −4.5 | +4.4 | +0.0 | +11.5 | +5.5 |
| 2023 | +22.8 | −8.6 | +9.6 | +2.1 | +14.3 | +8.1 | +2.5 | +3.2 | −7.9 | +4.7 | +9.8 | +4.0 |
| 2022 | −10.3 | +2.7 | +6.1 | −23.8 | −3.3 | −11.6 | +27.1 | −6.1 | −10.9 | −9.3 | −5.8 | −13.0 |
| 2021 | −1.6 | −3.5 | +0.0 | +12.1 | −7.0 | +6.7 | −3.3 | +4.3 | −5.4 | +2.7 | +4.0 | −4.9 |
| 2020 | +8.7 | −6.2 | +3.5 | +26.9 | −1.3 | +13.0 | +14.7 | +9.0 | −8.8 | −3.6 | +4.3 | +2.8 |
| 2019 | +14.4 | −4.6 | +8.6 | +8.2 | −7.9 | +6.7 | −1.4 | −4.8 | −2.3 | +2.3 | +1.4 | +2.6 |
| 2018 | +24.1 | +4.2 | −4.3 | +8.2 | +4.1 | +4.3 | +4.6 | +13.2 | −0.5 | −20.2 | +5.8 | −11.1 |
| 2017 | +9.8 | +2.6 | +4.9 | +4.3 | +7.5 | −2.7 | +2.0 | −0.7 | −2.0 | +15.0 | +6.5 | −0.6 |
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | +6.9 | +7.4 | −2.7 | +6.2 | −12.1 | −2.2 | −1.8 | −5.5 | −0.9 | +18.9 | +3.7 | |
| 2025 | +8.6 | +0.5 | −10.7 | +10.8 | +1.8 | −1.0 | +0.2 | −0.8 | +6.3 | −1.8 | +9.2 | +1.0 |
| 2024 | +4.8 | +6.4 | +3.0 | −1.4 | +11.2 | +3.0 | +1.4 | +12.8 | +4.6 | +1.5 | +12.9 | −2.1 |
| 2023 | +1.5 | −1.2 | +4.2 | +2.4 | −2.3 | +7.0 | +1.7 | +2.1 | −1.6 | +2.2 | −4.7 | +1.6 |
| 2022 | −3.4 | −3.3 | +10.6 | +2.7 | −15.6 | −5.5 | +8.6 | +0.8 | −2.2 | +9.7 | +7.1 | −6.6 |
| 2021 | −2.5 | −7.5 | +5.0 | +3.0 | +1.9 | −0.7 | +1.1 | +4.3 | −5.9 | +7.2 | −5.9 | +3.3 |
| 2020 | −3.7 | −5.9 | +6.0 | +7.0 | +2.5 | −3.4 | +8.0 | +7.7 | +0.8 | −0.8 | +10.1 | −5.3 |
| 2019 | +2.9 | +3.3 | −0.9 | +5.4 | −0.8 | +8.9 | −0.1 | +4.0 | +3.9 | −1.2 | +1.6 | +0.2 |
| 2018 | +7.9 | −15.6 | −0.6 | −0.6 | −6.1 | +3.8 | +4.2 | +8.1 | −2.0 | +6.8 | −2.6 | −4.1 |
| 2017 | −3.4 | +6.3 | +2.4 | +4.3 | +5.2 | −3.7 | +5.7 | −1.8 | +0.1 | +11.7 | +11.4 | +2.1 |
The rolling 1-year return is the change over the 12 months to each month end. From May 1998 to Nov 2026, Amazon's rolling 1-year return ran from −85.2% (12 months to Feb 2001) to +1107.9% (to Mar 1999). Over the same months, Walmart's ran from −31.1% (12 months to Nov 2015) to +117.1% (to Jan 1999).
Amazon's 12-month change was below zero at 75 of those 343 month ends, and Walmart's at 80. Amazon's 12-month change was the higher one at 211 month ends and Walmart's at 132.
These measures cover May 15, 1997 to Nov 13, 2026. Over those dates, volatility was 54.9% for Amazon and 24.9% for Walmart. The Sortino ratio counts only falling days as risk. Against the same 5% rate, Sortino ratios were 0.74 for Amazon and 0.50 for Walmart. The Calmar ratio is the yearly return divided by the deepest fall.
Calmar ratios were 0.33 for Amazon and 0.36 for Walmart, the opposite order to the Sharpe ratios.
Beta shows how much Amazon and Walmart tended to move on the days the S&P 500 (SPY) moved. A beta of 1 means moving by the same amount as the index. From May 16, 1997 to Nov 13, 2026, Amazon's beta was 1.30, so it tended to move more than the index.
Over the same dates, Walmart's beta was 0.64, so it tended to move less than the index. The correlation of Amazon's and Walmart's daily moves was 0.24, little link. A correlation of 1 would mean they always moved together, 0 no link and −1 always opposite.
| Measure | Amazon | Walmart |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility, a year | 54.9% | 24.9% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.47 | 0.34 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.74 | 0.50 |
| Calmar ratio | 0.33 | 0.36 |
| Deepest fall | 94.4% | 37.5% |
| Beta to the S&P 500from May 16, 1997 | 1.30 | 0.64 |
| Upside capturemonths from Dec 2016 | 144% | 78% |
| Downside capturemonths from Dec 2016 | 125% | 15% |
| Biggest one-day rise | +34.47%Nov 26, 2001 | +11.71%Mar 17, 2020 |
| Biggest one-day fall | −24.77%Jul 24, 2001 | −11.38%May 17, 2022 |
| Price against its 50-day average | +4.6% | +11.8% |
| Price against its 200-day average | +9.0% | +8.0% |
| Correlation of daily movesfrom May 16, 1997 | 0.24 | |
What Amazon and Walmart do, from each company's latest annual report filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
Amazon.com, Inc. sells consumer products, advertising and subscription services through online and physical stores, and sells cloud computing services through Amazon Web Services (AWS). It reports three segments. North America and International cover retail sales of consumer products, including from sellers, plus advertising and subscription services, through stores focused on each region.
AWS covers global sales of compute, storage, database and other services to start-ups, enterprises, government agencies and academic institutions. The company owns and leases corporate headquarters in Washington's Puget Sound region and in Arlington, Virginia. Its principal executive offices are in Seattle, Washington. Its fiscal year ends on December 31.
Source: 10-K (fiscal 2025, ended December 31, 2025), filed Feb 6, 2026 (SEC EDGAR)
Walmart Inc. operates retail and wholesale stores and clubs, as well as eCommerce websites and mobile applications. Its operations are located throughout the U.S., Africa, Canada, Central America, Chile, China, India and Mexico. The company describes itself as an omnichannel retailer, offering shopping in stores and through eCommerce along with other services.
It reports three segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam's Club U.S. Its principal offices are in Bentonville, Arkansas, and its common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Its fiscal year ends on January 31 for its U.S. and Canadian operations. Other operations are generally consolidated with a one-month lag on a calendar-year basis.
Source: 10-K (fiscal 2026, ended January 31, 2026), filed Mar 13, 2026 (SEC EDGAR)
It depends on the period. Amazon had the higher total return over the full span since May 1997 and the last 20 and 10 years. Walmart had the higher total return over the last 5 years and the last year. From May 15, 1997 to the Nov 13, 2026 close, Amazon returned +272,233% in total and Walmart +3,933%.
Both include reinvested dividends, before taxes and fees. Over the last 10 years, Amazon returned +642% and Walmart +544%. Over the last 5 years, Amazon returned +51.3% and Walmart +177%. Over the last year, Amazon returned +12.2% and Walmart +26.0%. None of these Amazon and Walmart figures is a forecast.
SmartFin does not say which to buy. This page reports what Amazon and Walmart prices did. From May 15, 1997 to Nov 13, 2026, Amazon grew 30.7% a year and Walmart grew 13.3%. The record shows deepest falls of 94.4% for Amazon and 37.5% for Walmart. Past returns for Amazon and Walmart do not show what either will do next.
Yes. Every AMZN and WMT figure here uses closing prices adjusted for stock splits and dividends, so dividends count as reinvested. Taxes, fees and trading costs are left out of the Amazon and Walmart figures.
At the Nov 13, 2026 close, Amazon was 1.8% below its highest month-end value, set in Jul 2026. At the same close, Walmart was 2.5% below its highest month-end value, set in Apr 2026. Amazon's deepest fall on daily closes was 94.4%, from Dec 1999 to Sep 2001. Walmart's deepest fall was 37.5%, from Dec 1999 to Oct 2000.
Compare Amazon and Walmart with your own amount and dates in Compare Two Stocks
Daily closing prices adjusted for stock splits, with dividends reinvested, before taxes and fees. Both amounts are invested at the same close and valued at the Nov 13, 2026 close. See also: What if you invested in Amazon · What if you invested in Walmart.
This page presents historical market data and calculated results for a defined period. It is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold the security, fund, or index shown. Past performance is not indicative of future results.