Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) EVP Christopher James Nicholas Sells 2,900 Shares

Key Points

• Walmart EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares on May 21 at an average price of $123.92, totaling about $359,368. The sale was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
• The executive still owns 577,853 shares after the transaction, valued at roughly $71.6 million. The latest sale represented a 0.50% decrease in his position.
• Walmart’s recent earnings were solid but guidance disappointed investors: the company matched EPS expectations and beat revenue forecasts, yet its second-quarter and full-year outlook came in below consensus, contributing to pressure on the stock.

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total transaction of $359,368.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 577,853 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $71,607,543.76. The trade was a 0.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Christopher James Nicholas also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Thursday, April 16th, Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of Walmart stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.72, for a total transaction of $361,688.00.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of Walmart stock traded down $1.07 on Friday, reaching $120.27. 30,274,533 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 26,250,426. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $93.43 and a 1-year high of $135.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $126.83 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $120.03. 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.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The firm had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.61 earnings per share. 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 anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Headlines 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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WMT has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $137.00 price objective (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $120.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price target (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price objective on Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price objective on Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $138.71.

Institutional Trading of Walmart

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WMT. WNY Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $1,402,000. Wellington Grp LLC increased its position in Walmart by 6.7% during the first quarter. Wellington Grp LLC now owns 11,801 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,467,000 after buying an additional 744 shares in the last quarter. Montchanin Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the first quarter worth $455,000. GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 2.6% in the first quarter. GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. now owns 74,975 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $9,318,000 after acquiring an additional 1,904 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vestor Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 21,583.0% during the first quarter. Vestor Capital LLC now owns 118,389 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $14,713,000 after acquiring an additional 117,843 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

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.

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