Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) was the target of some unusual options trading on Friday. Stock investors bought 174,648 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 43% compared to the average volume of 122,456 call options.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of analysts have issued reports on WMT shares. Mizuho raised their target price on Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price objective on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 price target (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Craig Hallum set a $150.00 price objective on Walmart in a research report on Friday, March 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walmart presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.85.
View Our Latest Stock Report on WMT
Walmart Trading Up 1.8%
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The business had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $174.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.61 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Walmart will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart
In other news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 687,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $83,821,522.52. This represents a 1.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,335 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.63, for a total value of $166,381.05. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 636,843 shares in the company, valued at $79,369,743.09. This trade represents a 0.21% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 117,008 shares of company stock worth $14,492,704 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Walmart by 1.0% in the fourth 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. State Street Corp grew its stake in Walmart by 1.2% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $19,046,104,000 after acquiring an additional 2,242,364 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 6.8% in the fourth 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. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at about $6,458,529,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,626,852 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,526,238,000 after acquiring an additional 328,229 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Trending Headlines about Walmart
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart launched express delivery from in-store Subway restaurants, letting customers order freshly made meals through the Walmart app or website and receive them in as little as 30 minutes. The move adds a new convenience offering, broadens basket size potential, and could help Walmart capture more meal-budget spending. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts and media coverage framed the Subway partnership as another step in Walmart’s competition with Amazon and other delivery players, highlighting its use of an existing driver network to expand faster-delivery services. That supports the view that Walmart can keep building higher-frequency, higher-margin services. Article Title
- Neutral Sentiment: Walmart reported preliminary annual shareholder voting results and said nearly 89.9% of outstanding shares were represented, with management again emphasizing strong FY26 results and the company’s omnichannel retail model. The update is supportive, but largely confirms existing investor expectations. Article Title
- Neutral Sentiment: Shareholders rejected a proposal asking Walmart to disclose AI’s impact on workers’ safety and well-being. The vote removes a governance overhang, but it is unlikely to move the stock much on its own. Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: Erste Group Bank AG downgraded Walmart from “buy” to “hold,” which could cap upside after the recent run in the shares. Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: A new class action lawsuit over Walmart’s hiring practices in Massachusetts raises legal and compliance risk, which can weigh on investor sentiment even if the financial impact is still unclear. Article Title
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.
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