Shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) fell 1% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $104.40 and last traded at $105.38. Approximately 26,477,878 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 3% from the average session volume of 25,690,574 shares. The stock had previously closed at $106.49.
More Walmart News
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s Sparky AI shopping assistant reportedly increases customer spending by about 40% in early tests. The retailer is also exploring partnerships with OpenAI and ChatGPT, potentially supporting higher engagement, average order values and future advertising or technology revenue. Walmart says its AI assistant, Sparky, is leading to customers spending 40% more than those who shop without it
- Positive Sentiment: The company raised full-year revenue guidance to 4%-5% growth from 3.5%-4.5%, while reporting adjusted earnings of $0.81 per share and revenue of $187.94 billion—both ahead of analyst expectations. Walmart earnings and guidance update
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts’ consensus price target of approximately $128.43 implies substantial upside from recent trading levels, reinforcing the view that Walmart remains a long-term, relatively defensive compounder for investors willing to tolerate slower near-term growth. Walmart Keeps Cratering: 45% Gains Are Expected From A Respected Wall Street Pro
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of research firms have recently weighed in on WMT. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $126.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $120.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $125.00 target price (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday. Finally, KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $131.88.
Walmart Price Performance
The stock has a fifty day moving average of $113.06 and a 200 day moving average of $121.09. The stock has a market cap of $838.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.04, a P/E/G ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23.
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The firm’s revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.68 earnings per share. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Insider Activity
In related news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total value of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at $14,985,527.94. The trade was a 8.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total transaction of $413,891.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 630,009 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $69,074,186.76. This trade represents a 0.60% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 57,064 shares of company stock worth $6,697,788. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the first quarter worth approximately $29,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Walmart by 57.4% during the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Montgomery Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Sankala Group LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.
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.
Featured Stories
- Five stocks we like better than Walmart
- Pathward’s Credit Scare Tests Its Comeback Story
- Wiring the AI Boom: Rumble’s $13.7B Pivot
- StoneX: Too Far Too Fast?
- DICK’s Sporting Goods Faces Pain Now for a Bigger Prize
Receive News & Ratings for Walmart Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Walmart and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
