DA Davidson restated their buy rating on shares of Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. DA Davidson currently has a $150.00 price target on the retailer’s stock.
WMT has been the topic of several other research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $137.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. BNP Paribas Exane decreased their price objective on Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Walmart from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.50.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on WMT
Walmart Stock Down 0.8%
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The firm had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $174.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.61 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that Walmart will post 2.88 earnings per share for the current year.
Insider Buying and Selling
In related news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.19, for a total transaction of $342,751.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 574,953 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $67,953,695.07. This represents a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total value of $2,303,320.08. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,174,579 shares in the company, valued at approximately $495,230,306.77. This trade represents a 0.46% 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 sold 54,164 shares of company stock valued at $6,389,402 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Trading of Walmart
Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of WMT. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 57.4% during the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the period. Sankala Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
More Walmart News
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart enters the report with a strong earnings track record, having exceeded revenue expectations for 25 consecutive quarters. Analysts also see potential for another earnings beat, supported by e-commerce momentum and a growing contribution from Walmart Connect advertising. Walmart Q2 Preview
- Positive Sentiment: The company’s grocery leadership, expanding online business and higher-margin retail-media operations remain important long-term strengths. Advertising growth could help offset the cost of competitive pricing and faster delivery. DA Davidson also reiterated a Buy rating. Retail stagnates, ad dollars help Walmart stay the course
- Neutral Sentiment: Options traders expect a significant post-earnings move, highlighting elevated volatility and the possibility that results or guidance could materially change the stock’s near-term direction. Barchart data ahead of Walmart earnings
- Negative Sentiment: Thousands of price reductions may support customer traffic but could slow sales growth and pressure profit margins. Same-store sales momentum has moderated, increasing investor dependence on advertising and other higher-margin businesses. Walmart sales growth expected to slow
- Negative Sentiment: Several previews characterize WMT as expensive ahead of earnings, with a price-to-earnings ratio near 40 and a cautious outlook already weighing on sentiment. Investors may require a clear earnings or guidance upside to justify the valuation. Walmart valuation concern ahead of Q2 earnings
- Negative Sentiment: Walmart’s grocery advantage faces a margin test as shoppers increasingly purchase additional goods from Amazon, while elevated costs and cautious consumers could limit profitability. Walmart grocery margin test
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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