Walmart Drops 8% on Sales Miss as Consumer Spending Cools

Walmart shares fell 8% on August 20, 2026 after a rare comparable sales miss — meaning sales at existing stores grew less than expected. Average spending per transaction rose just 1.1% year-over-year, a sharp slowdown. The pullback coincides with the 30-year Treasury yield peaking at 5.337% on August 18 before easing to 5.187%, pushing up household borrowing costs and squeezing discretionary budgets.