Walmart's (WMT) Buy Rating Reiterated at BTIG Research

Key Points

• BTIG Research reiterated its buy rating on Walmart and kept a $145 price target, implying about 19.5% upside from the prior close.
• Walmart’s latest quarterly results beat revenue expectations and matched EPS estimates, with sales up 7.4% year over year as U.S. comparable sales, e-commerce, and higher-margin businesses continued to grow.
• Despite the bullish analyst sentiment, the stock has faced pressure as investors weigh cautious guidance, higher fuel costs, and concerns that lower-income consumers may reduce spending if economic conditions worsen.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "buy" rating reiterated by analysts at BTIG Research in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $145.00 target price on the retailer's stock. BTIG Research's target price would indicate a potential upside of 19.50% from the stock's previous close.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $120.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Tigress Financial set a $150.00 target price on shares of Walmart and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Telsey Advisory Group increased their target price on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Bank of America started coverage on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 27th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $150.00 target price for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Walmart currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $138.67.

Walmart Trading Down 7.3%

NASDAQ WMT opened at $121.34 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $967.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.28, a P/E/G ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart has a 52-week low of $93.43 and a 52-week high of $135.15. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $126.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $120.03. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

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. Equities research analysts expect that Walmart will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total value of $2,555,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at $62,203,571.56. This represents a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.84, for a total transaction of $1,638,525.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 674,162 shares in the company, valued at $84,162,384.08. This represents a 1.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 109,983 shares of company stock valued at $13,908,797. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Walmart

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of WMT. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in Walmart during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart beat Q1 earnings and revenue estimates, driven by strong U.S. comparable sales, growing e-commerce, and rapid gains in advertising, marketplace, and membership revenue. Walmart reports revenue growth of 7.3%, up 5.9% in constant currency (cc)
• Positive Sentiment: Management reaffirmed its long-term FY2027 targets, signaling confidence in the business even as it navigates near-term volatility. WMT Q1 Earnings Call Shows Growth Amid Fuel Pressure
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s digital strength remains a key theme, with analysts highlighting store-fulfilled pickup and delivery, marketplace expansion, and a growing AI-driven operating model. Walmart Earnings Call: Digital Strength, Fuel Headwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Shares are under pressure because Walmart’s guidance was cautious, with the company citing higher fuel costs and signs that lower-income consumers may pull back if gas prices stay elevated and tax-refund support fades. Walmart falls after issuing cautious guidance amid the high gas price environment
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart’s Q2 outlook missed consensus, reinforcing investor worries that fuel-driven consumer stress could slow spending and compress near-term profit growth. Walmart falls on guidance despite beating revenue estimates

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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