Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report)’s stock price shot up 2.4% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $116.05 and last traded at $116.01. Approximately 21,965,769 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 13% from the average session volume of 25,236,686 shares. The stock had previously closed at $113.26.
Walmart News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s expanding e-commerce business and digital capabilities are increasingly positioning it as a broader commerce platform, supporting the long-term growth narrative. Walmart’s E-Commerce Engine Roars
- Positive Sentiment: Bank of America believes Walmart could return to a “beat-and-raise” pattern, although it acknowledged softer spending among lower-income consumers. Walmart Could Return to Its Beat-And-Raise Playbook This Quarter
- Positive Sentiment: RBC reaffirmed an Outperform rating, providing some support ahead of earnings. Royal Bank of Canada Reaffirms Outperform Rating
- Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is expected to report largely in-line second-quarter results. Investors will focus more on second-half guidance and whether potential tariff refunds are used to reduce prices, reinvest in the business, or support margins. Walmart Set for In-Line Q2
- Neutral Sentiment: Management will release fiscal second-quarter results before the market opens on August 20 and host an earnings call, making the report an important near-term catalyst. Walmart to Host Second-Quarter Earnings Conference Call
- Negative Sentiment: Deutsche Bank and RBC expect Walmart to be among major retailers that could miss second-quarter comparable-sales estimates, with high gasoline prices potentially pressuring consumer traffic and spending. Walmart Seen Missing Comparable Sales Estimates
- Negative Sentiment: Analysts have reduced earnings estimates, while concerns about rising costs and Walmart’s premium valuation have contributed to its roughly 12% three-month decline despite solid operating trends. Walmart Stock Slides About 12% in Three Months
Analyst Ratings Changes
WMT has been the subject of several analyst reports. Erste Group Bank downgraded Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 18th. Truist Financial set a $140.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.56.
Walmart Price Performance
The business’s 50-day moving average price is $114.41 and its 200 day moving average price is $121.56. The company has a market capitalization of $917.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.33 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.61 EPS. Walmart’s revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.19, for a total value of $342,751.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 574,953 shares in the company, valued at $67,953,695.07. This represents a 0.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total value of $1,308,670.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 120,203 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. This trade represents a 8.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 70,189 shares of company stock valued at $8,377,320 in the last ninety days. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart
Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth $6,458,529,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in Walmart during the second quarter valued at about $2,905,655,000. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Walmart by 188.1% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,199,907,000 after purchasing an additional 7,614,172 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG lifted its stake in Walmart by 54.0% during the second quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 18,607,297 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,107,462,000 after purchasing an additional 6,525,224 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted 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 worth $11,426,753,000 after purchasing an additional 6,517,394 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
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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