If You Invested $1,000 In Walmart At Its COVID-19 Pandemic Low, Here's How Much You'd Have Now

Investors who bought stocks during the COVID-19 market crash in 2020 have generally experienced some big gains in the past two years. But there is no question some big-name stocks performed better than others since the pandemic bottom.

Walmart's Bumpy Ride: Discount retailer Walmart Inc. WMT held up relatively well during the pandemic, but supply chain disruptions have been a headache ever since.

Fortunately for Walmart investors, the company’s grocery and online shopping businesses were relatively insulated from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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At the beginning of 2020, Walmart shares were trading at $118.86. By the beginning of March, the stock was down to $107.60 as news of the coronavirus spreading in China prompted concerns about a U.S. pandemic.

Walmart ultimately bottomed at $102 on March 16, 2020, during the pandemic-driven sell-off. Fortunately for Walmart investors, the dip didn't last long.

By mid-April, Walmart shares were back at new all-time highs above $130 and got as high as $151.33 in early September.

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Walmart In 2022, Beyond: Walmart ultimately peaked at $160.77 in April 2022. Unfortunately, Walmart suffered its worst single-day crash in 35 years in May 2022 after the company reported a bog first-quarter earnings miss. The stock dropped 11.7% that day as investors fretted over Walmart's first negative operating cash flow in any quarter in 27 years.

Walmart is dealing with several headwinds in the market in 2022. Walmart explained its negative free cash flow on its earnings call, saying it spent heavily to build its inventory. The cost of that inventory coupled with costs associated with inflation ate into its margins in the quarter.

Still, investors who bought Walmart stock the day it hit its 2020 pandemic low and held on have generated a decent return on their investment. In fact, $1,000 in Walmart stock bought on March 16, 2020, would be worth about $1,263 today, assuming reinvested dividends.

Looking ahead, analysts are expecting Walmart stock to rebound in the next 12 months. The average price target among the 32 analysts covering the stock is $154, suggesting 17.8% upside from current levels.