Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) CEO John Furner Sells 13,125 Shares

Key Points

• Walmart CEO John Furner sold 13,125 shares on May 21 at an average price of $124.08, totaling about $1.63 million. The sale was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
• Walmart’s latest earnings were solid, with quarterly EPS of $0.66 matching estimates and revenue of $177.75 billion topping expectations. Revenue rose 7.4% year over year, helped by continued strength in grocery, e-commerce, and membership growth.
• Investors remain mixed on the outlook: while many analysts still rate the stock a Buy and see further share gains, Walmart’s forward guidance disappointed and the stock fell on the news. The company also faces pressure from valuation concerns, a cautious consumer, and some leadership turnover.

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) CEO John Furner sold 13,125 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.08, for a total value of $1,628,550.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 661,037 shares in the company, valued at $82,021,470.96. This represents a 1.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT stock traded down $1.07 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $120.27. The stock had a trading volume of 30,274,533 shares, compared to its average volume of 26,250,426. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $958.67 billion, a PE ratio of 43.89, a PEG ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 0.65. The stock's 50 day moving average is $126.83 and its 200 day moving average is $120.03. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $93.43 and a twelve month high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $174.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.61 EPS. The company's quarterly 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. As a group, research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart beat first-quarter revenue estimates and matched earnings expectations, showing continued sales momentum across grocery, general merchandise and e-commerce. Walmart Sales Rise as Its E-Commerce Business Grows
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America said Walmart is positioned to gain market share in a price-sensitive environment, reiterated a Buy rating, and pointed to a possible renewed beat-and-raise cycle. Walmart seen extending share gains as price gaps widen, Bank of America says
• Positive Sentiment: Several brokerages remain constructive, with BTIG reaffirming Buy and BNP Paribas Exane still rating the stock Outperform, despite modest target cuts. These Analysts Cut Their Forecasts On Walmart After Q1 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart continues to benefit from strong e-commerce, advertising, and membership growth, which support the long-term investment case even as the market reassesses near-term guidance. Walmart reports revenue growth of 7.3%, up 5.9% in constant currency (cc)
• Neutral Sentiment: Management also highlighted fuel-driven cost pressure and a more cautious consumer, suggesting the quarter was strong operationally but the backdrop is becoming tougher. WMT Q1 Earnings Call Shows Growth Amid Fuel Pressure
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart’s forward guidance disappointed investors, with second-quarter and full-year EPS and revenue targets coming in below consensus. Walmart Inc. (WMT) Q1 2027 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary say the stock may need a reset after a strong run, with technical weakness and valuation concerns adding to the selloff. Why Walmart’s Rally May Need a Reset
• Negative Sentiment: News of senior executive departures under Walmart’s new CEO also adds some uncertainty around leadership continuity. Senior Walmart Executives Depart in Reshuffling Under New CEO

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 1st quarter worth $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the third quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on WMT shares. Raymond James Financial reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $135.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, March 6th. BMO Capital Markets restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. HSBC downgraded Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and lifted their target price for the company from $122.00 to $131.00 in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Wolfe Research reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $137.00 target price (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $138.71.

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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