Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Stock Price Down 1.2% - What's Next?

Key Points

• Walmart shares fell 1.2% to $107.14 in Friday trading, with volume below its daily average. The stock trades at a relatively high forward valuation, while its price remains below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages.
• Walmart exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.81 EPS and $187.94 billion in revenue, with revenue up 5.9% year over year. However, tariff-related cost pressures, uneven consumer demand and elevated valuation create risks for future performance.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $131.88, implying potential upside from current levels. New delivery partnerships, fraud-prevention technology and improved product placement could support the company’s broader retail ecosystem.

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) fell 1.2% on Friday . The company traded as low as $106.93 and last traded at $107.14. 19,113,962 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 26% from the average daily volume of 25,683,492 shares. The stock had previously closed at $108.42.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Dunkin’ partnership expands Walmart’s delivery ecosystem. Walmart will deliver Dunkin’ orders alongside its retail purchases, following its earlier Subway partnership. The initiative broadens Walmart’s convenience offering and positions it to capture restaurant-delivery spending that typically flows to DoorDash and Uber Eats, although execution and profitability remain important. Walmart shoppers can now get Dunkin’ delivered alongside orders
• Positive Sentiment: Fraud prevention could become an additional retail service. Walmart and Amazon are developing fraud-prevention capabilities that could improve customer trust and potentially create new technology or service opportunities. The financial impact is not yet clear, but stronger digital security may support Walmart’s e-commerce strategy. Amazon and Walmart Turn Fraud Prevention Into a Retail Product
• Positive Sentiment: Improved product placement could support consumer-goods sales. Haleon secured better shelf space at Walmart and Target, highlighting Walmart’s importance to suppliers and potentially improving visibility and sales for key health and personal-care categories. The effect on Walmart’s overall results is likely modest. Haleon secures better shelf space at Walmart and Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider selling was limited and pre-arranged. EVP Daniel Bartlett sold approximately $415,000 of stock, reducing his direct holdings by 0.63%. Because the transaction occurred under a Rule 10b5-1 plan and left him with substantial ownership, it is a weak signal for investors. Daniel Bartlett Sells 3,950 Shares of Walmart Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Retail results underscore margin and consumer risks. Recent earnings suggest a K-shaped consumer economy: some higher-income shoppers remain resilient, while value-focused retailers face mixed demand. Walmart is also contending with tariff-related cost pressure and a valuation near 39 times earnings, leaving less room for disappointment. Retail Earnings Just Exposed a Bigger Divide in the U.S. Consumer Economy

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on WMT shares. DA Davidson set a $132.00 target price on Walmart and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Walmart from $147.00 to $132.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on shares of Walmart from $137.00 to $131.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $125.00 price objective (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $131.88.

Walmart Stock Down 1.2%

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 company has a market cap of $850.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.05 and a beta of 0.59. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $110.98 and a 200-day simple moving average of $119.70.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The business had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.68 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP David Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total value of $1,435,203.96. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,985,527.94. This represents a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Christopher Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total value of $308,386.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 569,153 shares in the company, valued at approximately $60,523,730.02. This represents a 0.51% 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. In the last three months, insiders have sold 81,242 shares of company stock worth $8,836,446. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in Walmart by 28.8% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 98,150 shares of the retailer's stock worth $8,868,000 after buying an additional 21,939 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 5.8% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,849 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $800,000 after purchasing an additional 485 shares during the period. Peterson Wealth Management raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 3.5% during the first quarter. Peterson Wealth Management now owns 50,307 shares of the retailer's stock worth $4,416,000 after purchasing an additional 1,715 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.9% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 13,008 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,272,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.2% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 91,341 shares of the retailer's stock worth $8,931,000 after purchasing an additional 1,048 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Company Profile

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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