Maplebear (NASDAQ:CART) versus Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Critical Comparison

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) and Maplebear (NASDAQ:CART) are both large-cap consumer staples companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, earnings, risk, profitability, analyst recommendations, valuation and dividends.

Volatility and Risk

Walmart has a beta of 0.53, indicating that its stock price is 47% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Maplebear has a beta of 0.69, indicating that its stock price is 31% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

26.8% of Walmart shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 63.1% of Maplebear shares are held by institutional investors. 0.1% of Walmart shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 24.0% of Maplebear shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Walmart and Maplebear, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Walmart	0	2	39	3	3.02
Maplebear	0	14	7	0	2.33

Walmart currently has a consensus price target of $131.51, suggesting a potential upside of 4.65%. Maplebear has a consensus price target of $59.12, suggesting a potential upside of 0.42%. Given Walmart’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe Walmart is more favorable than Maplebear.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Walmart and Maplebear”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Walmart	$735.84 billion	1.35	$21.89 billion	$2.77	45.37
Maplebear	$3.74 billion	3.72	$447.00 million	$1.92	30.66

Walmart has higher revenue and earnings than Maplebear. Maplebear is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Walmart, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares Walmart and Maplebear’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Walmart	3.00%	21.83%	7.80%
Maplebear	11.59%	22.14%	15.17%

Summary

Walmart beats Maplebear on 8 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Walmart

Walmart is a multinational retailer that operates discount stores, supercenters, neighborhood markets, and membership warehouse clubs. Its business includes Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam’s Club. The company sells groceries and a broad range of general merchandise, including apparel, electronics, household goods, and health and wellness products. Walmart also serves customers through e-commerce, with services such as order pickup and delivery. Founded by Sam Walton in 1962, Walmart is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas.

About Maplebear

Maplebear Inc., which operates as Instacart, provides an online grocery and retail marketplace in the United States and Canada. Its platform connects customers with local grocery stores and other retailers, enabling them to order products for delivery or pickup. In addition to its consumer app and website, Instacart offers retailers technology and services for online ordering, fulfillment and digital advertising. The company was founded in 2012 and is led by CEO Fidji Simo.