Walmart Settles Federal Opioid Lawsuit Without Disclosing Price

Walmart WMT has settled its federal opioid lawsuit without disclosing the settlement amount. The retail giant's stock price stood at $103.08 when the announcement was made, and it remains unclear how much of a financial hit investors will take.

The government sued Walmart in 2020 over alleged Controlled Substances Act violations dating back to 2013. A judge had already thrown out several claims but kept allegations involving knowingly invalid prescriptions alive.

In comparison, Walmart's $3.1 billion payment in 2022 to settle separate opioid claims brought by state and local governments equaled roughly 56% of its latest quarterly free cash flow of $5.5 billion.