Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) dropped 1.6% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $129.28 and last traded at $129.92. Approximately 15,935,102 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 43% from the average daily volume of 28,062,156 shares. The stock had previously closed at $132.03.
Walmart News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart filed its 2026 Annual Report and Proxy; CEO John Furner’s first shareholder letter emphasizes confidence in the business model and calls out investments in associates and AI-driven productivity gains. Walmart Releases 2026 Annual Report and Proxy Statement
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart is highlighting AI across the business (customer experience, supply chain, hiring/training) in its annual report — a narrative investors view as supporting margin/efficiency upside over time. Walmart Touts People and AI in Annual Report
- Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target on WMT to $140, signaling continued analyst conviction in Walmart’s growth/defensive mix and providing support for the stock. Morgan Stanley Increases Walmart Price Target
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding beyond core retail: new Upstream Facility Services (maintenance) and continued private‑label (Great Value) redesigns show diversification that could create new revenue streams. Walmart Diversifies Beyond Retail Into Maintenance Services
- Neutral Sentiment: Market previews ahead of Q1 FY2027 results discuss factors to watch (traffic, e‑commerce mix, margins); these previews can amplify moves around the print but are informational until results arrive. Walmart’s Q1 2027 Earnings: What to Expect
- Neutral Sentiment: Coverage on long‑term competition (Amazon vs. Walmart for the “decision layer”) frames the strategic stakes but doesn’t change fundamentals immediately. Amazon and Walmart Race to Capture Retail’s Decision Layer
- Negative Sentiment: Analysts at Seeking Alpha argue Walmart’s valuation is high relative to slowing growth, suggesting limited upside absent acceleration in top‑line or margin expansion. Walmart: Too Expensive Considering Slowing Growth
- Negative Sentiment: Another critique points to large ongoing capex that compresses free cash flow and supports a more cautious valuation outlook — a near‑term headwind for investors focused on cash returns. Walmart: Speculative Valuation As Free Cash Flow Is Held Down By Immense Capex
Analyst Ratings Changes
WMT has been the subject of several research reports. Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of Walmart from $127.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Argus raised shares of Walmart to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $145.00 target price (up from $136.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $140.00 target price (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $134.00 target price (up from $129.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Two 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $137.79.
Walmart Stock Down 1.6%
The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.04 trillion, a P/E ratio of 47.42, a P/E/G ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $125.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $116.64.
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The business had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.66 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Walmart Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a $0.2475 dividend. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is presently 36.13%.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other Walmart news, EVP Donna Morris sold 76,181 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.79, for a total value of $9,430,445.99. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 402,072 shares in the company, valued at $49,772,492.88. This represents a 15.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company’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 value of $1,600,725.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 687,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $83,821,522.52. The trade was a 1.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 243,960 shares of company stock worth $30,284,661 over the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WMT. Collier Financial bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
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.
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