Walmart Joins the Nasdaq-100 on January 20, Replacing AstraZeneca

What happened

Nasdaq said $WMT (Walmart) will be added to the Nasdaq-100 on January 20, 2026, replacing $AZN (AstraZeneca). The change takes effect before the market opens, and Walmart will also be added to related Nasdaq-100 variants.

Why traders care

This is a classic “index inclusion” catalyst. Funds and ETFs that track the Nasdaq-100 must buy the new entrant and sell the company being removed around the effective date, which can create short-term, flow-driven price pressure and unusual volume.

Winners

Index inclusion and passive-flow tailwind

Nasdaq-100 trackers and benchmark-aware managers often need to buy the incoming stock into the rebalance window, supporting demand and volume.

Names: $WMT (Walmart), $AMZN (Amazon)

Nasdaq ecosystem and listings momentum

Walmart’s move to Nasdaq plus inclusion is a “win” for Nasdaq’s listings brand and can boost attention to Nasdaq-linked data, index, and ecosystem narratives.

Names: $NDAQ (Nasdaq), $MSCI (MSCI)

Rebalance volume and liquidity beneficiaries

Big index changes typically increase trading volume (especially into the close), which can benefit market makers/liquidity providers and execution-heavy firms.

Names: $VIRT (Virtu Financial), $COWN (Cowen)

Losers

Removed from the Nasdaq-100 (mechanical selling risk)

Nasdaq-100 index trackers must sell the removed name around the effective date, which can create short-term downward pressure and heavier volume.

Names: $AZN (AstraZeneca), $GILD (Gilead Sciences)

Rival exchange/market-structure narrative pressure

A high-profile company moving to Nasdaq can be read as competitive momentum for Nasdaq versus other market operators, potentially weighing on peers short-term.

Names: $ICE (Intercontinental Exchange), $CBOE (Cboe Global Markets)

Short-term pair-trade / rotation effects

Traders often run relative trades (long the add / short the delete) and sometimes hedge sector exposure, which can spill over to close peers in the removed name’s sector.

Names: $PFE (Pfizer), $MRK (Merck)

Simple trading lens

1. Watch the calendar: effective before the open on January 20, 2026, so positioning often shows up in the sessions just before that date.

2. Common playbook: relative trade long $WMT / short $AZN into the rebalance window (then manage risk tightly because the “inclusion pop” can fade after the event).

3. Confirmation signals: unusual closing auction volume, widening spreads, and options skew changes in $WMT and $AZN as the rebalance approaches.

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