Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Shares Up 1.4% - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• WMT traded up ~1.4% to about $125.27 on Thursday with volume ~36% below average; the company has a market cap near $998B and a high valuation (P/E ~45.7), which some retail commentators say looks rich (~46x) given near‑term growth expectations.
• Operationally Walmart showed strength with e‑commerce sales up 24% in the fiscal fourth quarter, a revenue beat ($190.66B) and an EPS beat ($0.74), and it set FY‑2027 guidance of $2.75–$2.85, signaling continued omnichannel momentum.
• Near‑term catalysts include a potential Flipkart IPO

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) was up 1.4% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $125.39 and last traded at $125.2710. Approximately 21,693,765 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 36% from the average daily volume of 33,903,992 shares. The stock had previously closed at $123.49.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart reported e‑commerce sales up 24% in the fiscal fourth quarter, highlighting continued digital and omnichannel momentum that supports top‑line growth and margin leverage as more sales shift online. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart‑backed Flipkart is preparing for an IPO as soon as this year — a potential catalyst to unlock international value and generate proceeds or strategic optionality for Walmart’s investor returns. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Tigress Financial raised its price target to $150 and retained a Buy rating, citing Walmart’s transition to a tech‑driven omnichannel retailer — a bullish signal for buy‑side sentiment and price targets. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer‑term comparisons to Amazon and analysis of which is the better 10‑year hold can shift allocation decisions but don’t create an immediate earnings or cash‑flow catalyst. Investors debating AMZN vs. WMT will watch execution on e‑commerce and low‑cost leadership. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market pieces noting Walmart’s recent stock‑split history and inclusion in value/discount retail ETFs underscore retail investor interest but are not immediate drivers of fundamentals. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation pushback: retail investors on Reddit and some commentators highlight a ~46x multiple and growing bearish social sentiment, arguing the stock may be richly priced versus growth expectations — pressure that can limit near‑term multiple expansion. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst/valuation writeups note mixed short‑term returns and a recent pullback; momentum and multiple considerations will be key for next moves as investors weigh growth vs. a relatively high P/E. Read More.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have issued reports on WMT. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 target price on Walmart in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $135.00 price target (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $140.00 price objective (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, February 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $145.00 price objective on Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Walmart from $110.00 to $121.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, November 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $135.76.

Walmart Trading Up 1.4%

The firm has a market cap of $998.43 billion, a PE ratio of 45.72, a PEG ratio of 4.66 and a beta of 0.66. 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 business has a 50-day moving average price of $122.61 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $111.53.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.66 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. Analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be given a $0.2475 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Walmart's dividend payout ratio is currently 36.13%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total transaction of $4,158,004.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 533,466 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,082,852. This represents a 6.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.99, for a total value of $1,574,868.75. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 727,155 shares of the company's stock, valued at $87,251,328.45. The trade was a 1.77% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 279,703 shares of company stock worth $34,140,843. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Walmart

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer's stock worth $49,015,626,000 after buying an additional 4,304,436 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.2% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $19,046,104,000 after buying an additional 2,242,364 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Walmart by 6.8% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer's stock worth $11,426,753,000 after acquiring an additional 6,517,394 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $6,458,529,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,626,852 shares of the retailer's stock worth $4,526,238,000 after acquiring an additional 328,229 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.

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.