Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Price Target Raised to $145.00

Key Points

• BTIG raised its price target on Walmart to $145 (from $140) and kept a buy rating; several other brokers also boosted targets (Citigroup $147, Tigress $150, Argus strong-buy) and MarketBeat's consensus remains a Buy with an average target of $137.94.
• Walmart slightly beat the quarter with $0.74 EPS (consensus $0.73) and $190.66 billion in revenue (consensus $188.37B), and issued FY2027 guidance of $2.75–$2.85 EPS.
• Insiders have been selling recently — executives disposed of shares (CEO John Furner and EVP John Rainey among them) and insiders sold ~167,195 shares worth $20.98M over 90 days; institutional investors own about 26.76% of the stock.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) had its target price lifted by investment analysts at BTIG Research from $140.00 to $145.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the retailer's stock. BTIG Research's price objective indicates a potential upside of 10.86% from the stock's previous close.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Argus upgraded shares of Walmart to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Citigroup restated a "buy" rating and issued a $147.00 price objective (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Barclays restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $125.00 price objective (up from $108.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $140.00 price objective (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Tigress Financial set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $137.94.

Walmart Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $130.79 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. Walmart has a 12 month low of $91.89 and a 12 month high of $134.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.04 trillion, a PE ratio of 47.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.85 and a beta of 0.65. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $125.76 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $117.90.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.66 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Walmart will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.96, for a total value of $1,600,725.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 687,287 shares in the company, valued at $83,821,522.52. This trade represents a 1.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total transaction of $2,555,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 486,764 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $62,203,571.56. The trade was a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 167,195 shares of company stock worth $20,975,804 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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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