Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Shares Climb 1.6% - Here's Why

Key Points

• Walmart shares rose 1.6% to $113.08, although trading volume was 46% below the stock’s average daily volume.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $131.74; recent targets range from $115 to $132.
• Walmart beat quarterly expectations, reporting $0.81 in EPS versus $0.74 expected and $187.94 billion in revenue, up 5.9% year over year.

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) traded up 1.6% on Monday. The company traded as high as $113.14 and last traded at $113.08. 13,681,753 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 46% from the average daily volume of 25,130,768 shares. The stock had previously closed at $111.35.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently weighed in on WMT. Wolfe Research reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $115.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $126.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Guggenheim set a $130.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, DA Davidson restated a "buy" rating and issued a $132.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $131.74.

Walmart Stock Up 1.6%

The firm has a market cap of $897.15 billion, a PE ratio of 40.82, a P/E/G ratio of 4.25 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $108.42 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $116.43.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.68 earnings per share. 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 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, CEO John Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.66, for a total value of $1,399,912.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 647,912 shares in the company, valued at $69,106,293.92. This represents a 1.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 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 dated Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total transaction of $5,335,345.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 201,672 shares of the company's stock, valued at $21,246,145.20. The trade was a 20.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold 81,219 shares of company stock worth $8,604,429 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart during the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. Montgomery Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the second quarter worth $32,000. Sankala Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda. purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the first quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, PMV Capital Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the second quarter valued at $34,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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