Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Shares Up 1.5% – Here’s What Happened

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) shot up 1.5% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $129.69 and last traded at $129.13. 13,818,734 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 54% from the average session volume of 29,825,484 shares. The stock had previously closed at $127.26.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst note: Zacks highlights Walmart as well‑positioned for industry trends — omnichannel execution, digital transformation, advertising and membership initiatives should help WMT navigate margin pressure and capture share. 2 Supermarket Stocks Well-Positioned to Capitalize on Industry Trends
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional endorsement: Billionaire Israel Englander’s Millennium (longtime 13F holder) lists WMT among top picks, signaling sustained hedge‑fund conviction that can support the stock. Walmart Inc. (WMT): Israel Englander Is Bullish on This Retail Giant
• Positive Sentiment: Media bullishness: Jim Cramer called Walmart a “juggernaut,” which tends to attract retail interest and can amplify momentum buying. Jim Cramer Calls Walmart “A Stock That Truly Defines the Term Juggernaut”
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic growth levers: independent analysis notes Walmart is accelerating AI, higher‑margin ad revenue and membership/automation initiatives — structural profit drivers that can justify multiple expansion if execution continues. Assessing Walmart (WMT) Valuation As AI And Higher‑Margin Profit Engines Reshape The Business
• Positive Sentiment: New initiatives: coverage notes an EV‑charging rollout tied to Walmart sites — diversifies services, adds traffic to stores and strengthens ESG/infra narrative. Walmart EV Charging Push Adds New Dimension To Investment Case
• Neutral Sentiment: Market context: Barron’s piece on CEO changes notes retailer stocks (including Walmart) have moved with leadership transitions — supportive background but not a direct catalyst today. Retail CEO Changes Really Can Move Stocks. Just Look at Walmart and Target.
• Neutral Sentiment: Increased attention: Zacks reports heavy investor search activity for WMT — more eyeballs can boost liquidity and volatility but is non‑directional. Investors Heavily Search Walmart Inc. (WMT): Here is What You Need to Know
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and profit‑taking concerns: several pieces note WMT is up ~14% YTD and trades at a premium multiple, prompting discussion of “buy, hold or take profits” and creating room for near‑term selling. Walmart Stock Gains 14% YTD: Buy, Hold or Take Profits Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Small analyst tweak: Erste Group nudged FY2028 EPS slightly lower (minor cut), showing some analyst sensitivity to outlook — not a large revision but contributes to cautious tone. Erste Group reduces FY2028 estimate for Walmart

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently commented on WMT. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. DA Davidson set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $130.00 price objective (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price objective on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $137.12.

Walmart Stock Down 1.8%

The business’s 50 day moving average is $125.86 and its 200-day moving average is $115.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The company has a market cap of $1.01 trillion, a PE ratio of 46.28, a P/E/G ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The company had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.66 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Investors of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a $0.2475 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s payout ratio is currently 36.13%.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.16, for a total transaction of $2,391,274.56. Following the sale, the director owned 4,213,406 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $518,923,082.96. This trade represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.96, for a total transaction of $1,600,725.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 687,287 shares in the company, valued at approximately $83,821,522.52. The trade was a 1.87% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 274,278 shares of company stock valued at $33,825,793 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Walmart

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $6,458,529,000. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 188.1% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,199,907,000 after acquiring an additional 7,614,172 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 6.8% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $11,426,753,000 after acquiring an additional 6,517,394 shares during the period. Capital International Investors acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $592,848,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $49,015,626,000 after acquiring an additional 4,304,436 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Company Profile

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.