Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Zevia PBC (ZVIA) vs Walmart Inc. (WMT) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
Selected Stocks
Add up to 10 tickers. Use presets or search to get started.
Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | WMT | 4.7% revenue growth vs ZVIA's 4.0% |
| Quality / Margins | WMT | 3.3% net margin vs ZVIA's -6.2% |
| Stability / Safety | WMT | Beta 0.53 vs ZVIA's 1.03 |
| Dividends | WMT | 0.7% yield; 37-year raise streak; ZVIA pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | WMT | +30.7% vs ZVIA's -45.1% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | WMT | 7.9% ROA vs ZVIA's -15.6%, ROIC 14.7% vs -72.1% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Zevia is a beverage company that produces zero-calorie, naturally sweetened soft drinks—including sodas, energy drinks, and sparkling waters—without artificial ingredients. It generates revenue primarily through retail sales in grocery stores, warehouse clubs, and natural product retailers, with a growing e-commerce channel. The company's key advantage is its early-mover position in the zero-calorie, naturally sweetened beverage niche—using stevia instead of artificial sweeteners—which appeals to health-conscious consumers seeking sugar-free alternatives.
Walmart is the world's largest retailer operating a vast network of physical stores and e-commerce platforms. It generates revenue primarily through retail sales — with Walmart U.S. contributing about 65% of total revenue, Walmart International around 20%, and Sam's Club membership warehouse clubs roughly 15%. Its key competitive advantage is massive scale and supply chain efficiency, enabling everyday low prices that competitors struggle to match.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Segment breakdown not available.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
WMT leads in 5 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). ZVIA leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
WMT is the larger business by revenue, generating $703.1B annually — 4359.8x ZVIA's $161M. WMT is the more profitable business, keeping 3.3% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to ZVIA's -6.2%. On growth, WMT holds the edge at +5.8% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | ZVIAZevia PBC | WMTWalmart Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $161M | $703.1B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$11M | $42.8B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$10M | $22.9B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$5M | $15.3B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +48.0% | +24.9% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -7.3% | +4.1% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -6.2% | +3.3% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -3.1% | +2.2% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -4.0% | +5.8% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +78.3% | +35.1% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ZVIAZevia PBC | WMTWalmart Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $10M | $1.02T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | -$14M | $1.08T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -8.93x | 46.87x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 43.76x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 4.26x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 24.44x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.06x | 1.43x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 2.48x | 10.27x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 24.53x |
Profitability & Efficiency
WMT delivers a 22.3% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $22 in annual profit, vs $-28 for ZVIA. ZVIA carries lower financial leverage with a 0.02x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to WMT's 0.67x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), WMT scores 6/9 vs ZVIA's 5/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | ZVIAZevia PBC | WMTWalmart Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -27.9% | +22.3% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -15.6% | +7.9% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -72.1% | +14.7% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -29.7% | +17.5% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.02x | 0.67x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$25M | $56.4B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $25M | $10.7B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $668,000 | $67.1B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | 11.85x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in WMT five years ago would be worth $30,135 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $982 for ZVIA. Over the past 12 months, WMT leads with a +30.7% total return vs ZVIA's -45.1%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors WMT at 40.2% vs ZVIA's -27.3% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | ZVIAZevia PBC | WMTWalmart Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -33.3% | +13.5% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -45.1% | +30.7% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -61.6% | +175.4% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -90.2% | +201.3% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -90.2% | +512.5% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -27.3% | +40.2% |
Risk & Volatility
WMT is the less volatile stock with a 0.53 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than ZVIA's 1.03 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. WMT currently trades 95.0% from its 52-week high vs ZVIA's 36.6% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | ZVIAZevia PBC | WMTWalmart Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.03x | 0.53x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $3.66 | $134.69 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $1.16 | $79.81 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +36.6% | +95.0% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 28.3 | 49.9 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 873K | 29.5M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates ZVIA as "Buy" and WMT as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 198.5% upside for ZVIA (target: $4) vs 6.5% for WMT (target: $136). WMT is the only dividend payer here at 0.73% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | ZVIAZevia PBC | WMTWalmart Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $4.00 | $136.31 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 8 | 64 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +0.7% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 37 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $0.94 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +0.8% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Jul 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zevia PBC (ZVIA) | 100 | 13.26 | -86.7% |
| Walmart Inc. (WMT) | 100 | 261.67 | +161.7% |
Walmart Inc. (WMT) returned +201% over 5 years vs Zevia PBC (ZVIA)'s -90%. A $10,000 investment in WMT 5 years ago would be worth $30,135 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zevia PBC (ZVIA) | $86M | $161M | +88.5% |
| Walmart Inc. (WMT) | $485.9B | $713.2B | +46.8% |
Walmart Inc.'s revenue grew from $485.9B (2017) to $713.2B (2026) — a 4.4% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zevia PBC (ZVIA) | -6.3% | -6.2% | +2.7% |
| Walmart Inc. (WMT) | 2.8% | 3.1% | +9.3% |
Walmart Inc.'s net margin went from 3% (2017) to 3% (2026).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 10 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walmart Inc. (WMT) | 22.5 | 46.9 | +108.4% |
Walmart Inc. has traded in a 23x–53x P/E range over 10 years; current trailing P/E is ~47x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zevia PBC (ZVIA) | -0.08 | -0.15 | -82.0% |
| Walmart Inc. (WMT) | 1.46 | 2.73 | +87.0% |
Walmart Inc.'s EPS grew from $1.46 (2017) to $2.73 (2026) — a 7% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Zevia PBC generated $-5M FCF in 2025 (+76% vs 2021). Walmart Inc. generated $42B FCF in 2026 (+61% vs 2021).
ZVIA vs WMT: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is ZVIA or WMT a better buy right now?
Walmart Inc. (WMT) offers the better valuation at 46.9x trailing P/E (43.8x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Zevia PBC (ZVIA) a "Buy" — based on 8 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — ZVIA or WMT?
Over the past 5 years, Walmart Inc. (WMT) delivered a total return of +201.3%, compared to -90.2% for Zevia PBC (ZVIA). A $10,000 investment in WMT five years ago would be worth approximately $30K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: WMT returned +512.5% versus ZVIA's -90.2%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — ZVIA or WMT?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Walmart Inc. (WMT) is the lower-risk stock at 0.53β versus Zevia PBC's 1.03β — meaning ZVIA is approximately 94% more volatile than WMT relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Zevia PBC (ZVIA) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 2% versus 67% for Walmart Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — ZVIA or WMT?
Walmart Inc. (WMT) is the more profitable company, earning 3.1% net margin versus -6.2% for Zevia PBC — meaning it keeps 3.1% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: WMT leads at 4.2% versus -7.3% for ZVIA. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — ZVIA leads at 48.0%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
05Is ZVIA or WMT more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for ZVIA: 198.5% to $4.00.
06Which pays a better dividend — ZVIA or WMT?
In this comparison, WMT (0.7% yield) pays a dividend. ZVIA does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
07Is ZVIA or WMT better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Walmart Inc. (WMT) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.53), 0.7% yield, +512.5% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (WMT: +512.5%, ZVIA: -90.2%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
08What are the main differences between ZVIA and WMT?
Both stocks operate in the Consumer Defensive sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. WMT pays a dividend while ZVIA does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
Find Stocks Like These
Explore pre-built screens for each stock's profile, or build a custom screen to find stocks that beat both.