Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Trading 1.2% Higher - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Walmart shares rose 1.2% to $113.10 on Tuesday, with trading volume slightly below its daily average. The company recently reported revenue growth of 7.4% year over year and quarterly EPS in line with estimates.
• Growth opportunities include attracting higher-income shoppers and using AI to improve efficiency and margins. Walmart is also pursuing a 40,000-acre regenerative agriculture initiative to strengthen its supply chain and sustainability efforts.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $138.65, but Walmart’s elevated valuation—including a P/E ratio near 40—leaves less room for disappointing growth or guidance.

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) shares shot up 1.2% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $116.03 and last traded at $113.10. 24,815,588 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 2% from the average daily volume of 25,432,262 shares. The stock had previously closed at $111.74.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Higher-income customer gains support growth. Walmart is attracting more affluent shoppers through low prices, faster delivery and a broader product assortment. Continued gains in this demographic could support sales growth and help diversify the retailer’s customer base. Can Walmart Sustain Gains Among Higher-Income Customers?
• Positive Sentiment: AI investments may improve efficiency. Walmart is using artificial intelligence behind the scenes to reduce costs and improve operations rather than selling AI technology directly. Combined with strong recent earnings and favorable analyst views, these initiatives could provide incremental margin support. These 3 AI Winners Don’t Sell the Tech—They Use It
• Positive Sentiment: Regenerative agriculture initiative strengthens supply-chain strategy. Walmart, General Mills and ADM are targeting 40,000 Midwest wheat acres for soil health, water quality and carbon sequestration. The program could enhance Walmart’s sustainability profile and provide a model for supply-chain improvements, although near-term financial benefits are uncertain. Walmart Launches 40,000 Acre Regenerative Agriculture Effort
• Neutral Sentiment: Amazon ended Walmart’s 12-year reign atop the Fortune Global 500. Amazon ranked first by revenue in the 2025 listing, but the ranking reflects overall company revenue rather than profitability or near-term Walmart fundamentals. It nevertheless highlights intense competition in retail and e-commerce. Amazon Tops Fortune Global 500 List
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation leaves less room for disappointment. Commentary argues Walmart’s shares are expensive relative to projected forward earnings. The company’s scale and cost advantages remain durable, but a high earnings multiple could pressure the stock if growth, margins or guidance fail to exceed expectations. Walmart Is at $108: Why Investors Should Take Pause

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have issued reports on WMT shares. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price objective (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, May 7th. KeyCorp reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. BMO Capital Markets restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, July 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $138.65.

Walmart Stock Up 1.2%

The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $116.31 and its 200 day simple moving average is $122.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The company has a market cap of $900.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.68, a PEG ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.60.

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. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The business had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.61 EPS. The firm's 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. On average, research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total value of $2,303,320.08. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,174,579 shares in the company, valued at $495,230,306.77. This trade represents a 0.46% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.19, for a total transaction of $342,751.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 574,953 shares in the company, valued at $67,953,695.07. The trade was a 0.50% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 67,729 shares of company stock worth $8,124,931 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. First Community Trust NA lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. First Community Trust NA now owns 25,066 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,839,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. Walker Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Walmart by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Walker Asset Management LLC now owns 132,499 shares of the retailer's stock worth $15,007,000 after purchasing an additional 1,698 shares in the last quarter. Ballast Inc. raised its holdings in Walmart by 10.4% during the 2nd quarter. Ballast Inc. now owns 26,066 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,952,000 after buying an additional 2,466 shares during the period. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Walmart by 1.7% in the second quarter. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 18,800 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,129,000 after buying an additional 311 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Butensky & Cohen Financial Security Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 27.6% in the second quarter. Butensky & Cohen Financial Security Inc. now owns 33,228 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,763,000 after buying an additional 7,185 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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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