Shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) traded up 2.2% on Thursday. The company traded as high as $111.13 and last traded at $110.56. 23,606,298 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 7% from the average session volume of 25,249,576 shares. The stock had previously closed at $108.16.
Key Walmart News
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding its Express Pickup service, offering Walmart+ members eligible curbside orders in as little as one hour ahead of the holiday shopping season. The initiative could increase customer engagement, strengthen Walmart’s omnichannel position and support sales growth. Walmart’s One-Hour Express Pickup Push Could Be a Game Changer
- Positive Sentiment: A new California fulfillment and distribution hub is expected to create about 1,000 jobs, expanding Walmart’s logistics capacity and potentially improving delivery efficiency. Walmart Stock Gains as New California Hub Creates 1,000 Jobs
- Neutral Sentiment: Walmart reversed a six-bin height limit for in-store online-order carts. The change may improve fulfillment flexibility, although the earlier restriction was introduced to address employee and customer safety concerns. Walmart Reverses Order-Cart Limit
- Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s market capitalization is close to overtaking a major U.S. bank, making relative market value a short-term trading focus. Investors are awaiting a Tuesday catalyst that could influence the ranking. America’s Biggest Retailer Is About to Pass America’s Biggest Bank
- Negative Sentiment: Walmart’s multibillion-dollar warehouse-automation program is encountering difficulties handling items such as dog food, cardboard boxes and turkeys. Spending is expected to peak this year and next, while delays could postpone labor savings and pressure near-term capital returns. Walmart’s Automation Push Hits Snags
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a concern: Walmart trades near 39–40 times earnings versus roughly 21.5 times for the S&P 500. With recent revenue growth of 5.9%, the premium price leaves limited room for execution missteps or slower profit growth. Where Could Walmart’s Next Growth Come From?
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Walmart from $141.00 to $130.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Freedom Capital upgraded Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 21st. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $126.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Walmart from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walmart currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $131.74.
Walmart Stock Up 0.7%
The firm’s 50 day moving average is $108.42 and its 200-day moving average is $116.46. The firm has a market cap of $883.42 billion, a PE ratio of 40.20, a P/E/G ratio of 4.22 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41.
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%. The company had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.68 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Insider Activity
In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.65, for a total value of $309,285.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 566,253 shares in the company, valued at approximately $60,390,882.45. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total value of $5,335,345.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 201,672 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,246,145.20. This trade represents a 20.07% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold 81,219 shares of company stock worth $8,604,429 in the last 90 days. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart
Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Walmart by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 188,036,646 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $21,297,031,000 after acquiring an additional 2,107,781 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at about $7,455,131,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 6.4% in the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 28,142,040 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,497,493,000 after purchasing an additional 1,681,353 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the second quarter worth approximately $2,905,655,000. Finally, Amundi boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 44.4% during the second quarter. Amundi now owns 20,796,957 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,355,463,000 after purchasing an additional 6,393,326 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.
About Walmart
Walmart Inc (NASDAQ: WMT) is a multinational retailer that operates supercenters, discount stores, neighborhood markets, warehouse clubs and e-commerce platforms. Its merchandise includes groceries, apparel, electronics, home goods, health and wellness products, household essentials and general merchandise. Walmart also provides services such as grocery pickup and delivery, pharmacy services, financial products and digital advertising.
The company serves customers through its Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam’s Club segments.
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