WMT · News · 20260929N
Regulatory Investigations and Litigation
Walmart Inc. · 2026-09-29 · Importance 34 · Surprise 42 · In source text
A federal judge in San Jose rejected class-action status for lawsuits accusing Energizer and Walmart of conspiring to inflate disposable-battery prices. The lawsuits, filed in 2023, alleged that Energizer raised wholesale prices for other customers so Walmart could offer lower retail prices. U.S. District Judge P. Casey Pitts ruled on September 29, 2026 that consumers and wholesale purchasers must pursue their claims individually because the proposed classes lacked common legal and factual issues.
Key facts
- A federal judge in San Jose rejected class-action status for lawsuits accusing Energizer and Walmart of conspiring to inflate disposable battery prices, ruling that consumers and wholesale purchasers must pursue their claims individually. source
- The lawsuits accusing Energizer and Walmart of conspiring to inflate disposable battery prices were filed in 2023. source
Impact estimates
| metric | direction | stage | expected | basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| liability | positive | contingent | — | A federal judge in San Jose rejected class-action status for lawsuits accusing Energizer and Walmart of conspiring to inflate disposable… |