Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) shares traded up 3.1% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $132.43 and last traded at $131.93. 19,779,210 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 28% from the average session volume of 27,534,523 shares. The stock had previously closed at $128.01.
More Walmart News
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Company is overhauling store leadership to convert store lead roles into higher-paid manager/coach roles to retain experienced managers and improve in-store execution, which investors view as productivity and sales-positive. Walmart redesigns its leadership pipeline as managers making $400K stay for longer
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart expanded its owned milk processing footprint (new/planned plants and a recent Robinson, TX facility) to secure supply, lower input costs long-term and increase margin control in grocery — a strategic vertical integration move. Walmart invests in new milk plant to grow US supply chain
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart is earmarking millions to upgrade multiple Arizona stores — targeted capex that can drive sales and improve local competitiveness in key markets. Walmart earmarks millions for multiple Arizona store upgrades
- Positive Sentiment: Institutional buying: Alecta Pensionsforsakring increased its WMT stake by ~406,400 shares, a vote of confidence that can support the stock. Alecta Pensionsforsakring Boosts Walmart Stake by 406,400 Shares
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst/market commentary is bullish: recent roundup pieces recommend Walmart as a retail play as consumer confidence improves, supporting investor sentiment and multiple expansion. Buy Walmart and 3 More Retail Stocks as Consumer Confidence Surges
- Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is testing expanded local and regional assortments (e.g., local coffee/brands in Florida) to better match tight consumer budgets — could lift same-store sales in specific markets but impact is localized. Walmart Eyes Local Products as National Consumer Mood Sours
- Neutral Sentiment: Multiple bullish write-ups (Substack summaries republished on Yahoo/InsiderMonkey) reinforce a buy thesis focused on scale, e-commerce and margins; useful for sentiment but largely opinion-based. Is Walmart Inc. (WMT) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
- Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s corporate philanthropy and conservation grants (Acres for America) are positive PR and ESG signals but unlikely to move near-term fundamentals. NFWF Announces $5.4 Million in Grants from Walmart’s Acres for America Program
- Negative Sentiment: Execution/earnings risk: the leadership reshuffle and higher-paid manager tracks (salaries cited up to $400k) plus large capex for plants and store upgrades can raise near-term operating costs and capital intensity, pressuring margins until benefits materialize. Walmart Reshapes Store Leadership And Fashion Push As Shares Rally
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. DA Davidson set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $140.00 target price (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, March 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $138.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, April 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $137.79.
Walmart Stock Up 3.1%
The firm has a market cap of $1.05 trillion, a P/E ratio of 48.15, a P/E/G ratio of 4.75 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.79. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $125.46 and its 200 day moving average is $117.46.
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share 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 analysts’ expectations of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.66 EPS. The business’s revenue 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. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Walmart Dividend Announcement
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Investors of record on Friday, December 11th will be given a dividend of $0.2475 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.13%.
Insider Activity
In related news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.71, for a total value of $2,460,201.36. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,023,209 shares in the company, valued at approximately $509,780,812.39. This trade represents a 0.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.27, for a total value of $2,445,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 506,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $61,962,034.28. This trade represents a 3.80% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 263,376 shares of company stock worth $32,851,650. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WMT. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Collier Financial acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 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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