Erste Group Bank Forecasts Stronger Earnings for Walmart

Key Points

• Erste Group Bank raised its FY2028 EPS estimate for Walmart slightly to $3.25 from $3.24 and kept a Strong-Buy rating on the stock.
• Walmart’s latest quarterly results topped expectations, with EPS of $0.74 versus $0.73 expected and revenue of $190.66 billion versus $188.37 billion expected.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive: the stock carries a Buy consensus rating, with an average price target of $138.88.

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) - Stock analysts at Erste Group Bank raised their FY2028 earnings per share estimates for Walmart in a report issued on Friday, May 15th. Erste Group Bank analyst S. Lingnau now expects that the retailer will post earnings of $3.25 per share for the year, up from their prior estimate of $3.24. Erste Group Bank has a "Strong-Buy" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Walmart's current full-year earnings is $2.89 per share.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.66 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS.

A number of other analysts have also commented on WMT. Citigroup restated a "buy" rating and issued a $147.00 price target (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 5th. HSBC lowered Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and boosted their price target for the company from $122.00 to $131.00 in a report on Friday, February 20th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, April 20th. Roth Mkm restated a "buy" rating and issued a $138.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $138.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $138.88.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $133.34 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $1.06 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.85 and a beta of 0.65. The stock's 50-day moving average is $126.57 and its 200-day moving average is $119.46. Walmart has a one year low of $93.43 and a one year high of $134.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24.

Institutional Trading of Walmart

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Fox Run Management L.L.C. acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth $1,709,000. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,010,886 shares of the retailer's stock worth $104,182,000 after buying an additional 28,026 shares in the last quarter. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 466.6% during the 3rd quarter. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners now owns 13,343 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,375,000 after buying an additional 10,988 shares in the last quarter. Tradewinds LLC. acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth $11,077,000. Finally, Florida Trust Wealth Management Co raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 7.0% during the 4th quarter. Florida Trust Wealth Management Co now owns 196,648 shares of the retailer's stock worth $21,909,000 after buying an additional 12,794 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.72, for a total value of $361,688.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 596,008 shares in the company, valued at $74,334,117.76. This represents a 0.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,250 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.77, for a total value of $167,212.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 635,593 shares in the company, valued at $85,023,275.61. This represents a 0.20% 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 167,190 shares of company stock valued at $20,975,838 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Investors of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.2475 per share. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. Walmart's dividend payout ratio is presently 36.13%.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s push into AI, automation, and more efficient fulfillment could support margins over time by lowering costs and improving order economics, reinforcing the long-term growth story. Walmart's AI and Automation Push: Long-Term Cost Advantage?
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are focusing on Walmart’s upcoming quarterly results, and the expectation of an 8% jump in first-quarter net income signals continued operating strength heading into earnings. Walmart expected to post 8% first fiscal quarter net income gain
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart remains a preferred defensive retail name, with analysts and investors still comparing it favorably against the broader retail group as consumers stay value-focused. RTH Owns Amazon and Walmart. XRT Owns Everything Else.
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s new restaurant-delivery expansion through Spark adds another convenience service, but it is too early to tell how much it will move the stock in the near term. Walmart is starting to deliver restaurant meals with your grocery order
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 1,250 shares in a pre-arranged 10b5-1 plan, which is a small insider-sale headline that may slightly weigh on sentiment, even though it does not look like a major confidence signal. SEC Form 4 filing
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market caution tied to geopolitical risk, including concerns around the Strait of Hormuz, could limit enthusiasm for retail stocks even when the company-specific news is constructive. NVDA, WMT Report This Week, but News on the Strait Is Key

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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