Walmart Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NASDAQ:WMT)

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) was the target of some unusual options trading on Monday. Traders acquired 142,172 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 35% compared to the average volume of 105,142 call options.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on WMT shares. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $125.00 price objective (up previously from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Wall Street Zen raised Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $129.00 price objective (up from $122.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, January 5th. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on Walmart from $110.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $120.00 target price (up previously from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Thirty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $122.37.

Walmart Price Performance

NASDAQ WMT traded up $3.44 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $117.97. The stock had a trading volume of 49,168,572 shares, compared to its average volume of 24,609,627. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $109.73 and its 200 day moving average is $103.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $940.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.25, a PEG ratio of 5.29 and a beta of 0.66. Walmart has a twelve month low of $79.81 and a twelve month high of $118.84.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $179.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $175.15 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.26% and a return on equity of 21.31%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.58 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Walmart will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $101.63, for a total value of $406,520.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 1,040,455 shares in the company, valued at $105,741,441.65. This represents a 0.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP David Chojnowski sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.65, for a total transaction of $746,550.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 136,289 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,535,221.85. This trade represents a 4.89% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 125,628 shares of company stock valued at $13,690,065 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in Walmart by 1.0% during the third quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 9,926 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,023,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the period. Atlas Legacy Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 1.1% in the second quarter. Atlas Legacy Advisors LLC now owns 8,707 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $851,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. Meridian Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in Walmart by 2.1% in the second quarter. Meridian Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,804 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $470,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the period. Hemington Wealth Management increased its stake in Walmart by 1.8% during the third quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 5,695 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $586,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Boomfish Wealth Group LLC increased its stake in Walmart by 2.7% during the third quarter. Boomfish Wealth Group LLC now owns 3,701 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $381,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart struck a prominent AI partnership with Google (Gemini/Universal Commerce Protocol) to make Walmart and Sam’s Club inventory shoppable via Google’s chatbot — a move that extends prior integrations with other AI platforms and increases Walmart’s reach into conversational commerce. Walmart and Google Turn AI Discovery Into Effortless Shopping Experiences
• Positive Sentiment: Recognition as a tech‑forward retailer and likely inclusion in the Nasdaq‑100 has lifted sentiment — index inclusion can trigger mechanical buying and broaden institutional/ETF ownership. Walmart Stock Nabs Record-High After Getting Nasdaq-100 Nod
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is scaling drone delivery rapidly (plans for many more locations this year), improving last‑mile economics and online convenience — a tangible operational catalyst for e‑commerce growth. Walmart Drone Delivery Service Surges
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy options activity — about 142,172 call contracts traded (≈35% above average) — suggests short‑term bullish positioning from traders expecting further upside or reaction to news. (Entry report)
• Positive Sentiment: Broker optimism: Bernstein recently raised its WMT price target on favorable 2026 consumer spending expectations, signaling analyst support for shares. Bernstein Raises Walmart (WMT) Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Core retail metrics remain constructive: Sam’s Club membership revenue and renewal trends are improving, supporting recurring revenue and margin resilience. Walmart’s Sam’s Membership Grows
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart‑backed fintech OnePay completed an employee share repurchase implying a higher valuation (~$4B), which is positive for the broader Walmart ecosystem but only indirectly affects WMT equity. Walmart’s OnePay Employee Share Repurchase
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of competitor PriceSmart’s momentum highlights retail strength in emerging markets but is not a direct driver for Walmart’s stock today. PriceSmart’s Base-Case Calls for $45 in Upside—Bull-Case Is Better

About Walmart

Walmart is a multinational retail corporation that operates a broad portfolio of store formats and digital services. Its core business includes large-format supercenters, discount department stores, neighborhood grocery stores and a membership warehouse chain, Sam’s Club. The company’s merchandising mix covers groceries, household goods, apparel, electronics and pharmacy services, supplemented by private-label products and category-specific offerings. Walmart pairs its physical store network with online platforms and mobile applications to provide omnichannel shopping, fulfillment and delivery options for consumers and businesses.

The company was founded by Sam Walton, who opened the first store in Rogers, Arkansas in 1962; it is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas.