Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Shares Down 1.4% Following Insider Selling

Shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) fell 1.4% during trading on Monday following insider selling activity. The company traded as low as $103.76 and last traded at $103.85. 41,934,250 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 126% from the average session volume of 18,550,502 shares. The stock had previously closed at $105.32.

Specifically, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $101.63, for a total transaction of $406,520.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 1,040,455 shares in the company, valued at $105,741,441.65. The trade was a 0.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,630 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $102.58, for a total transaction of $167,205.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 642,788 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,937,193.04. The trade was a 0.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently weighed in on WMT. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, September 18th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $129.00 price objective on the stock. Oppenheimer upped their target price on Walmart from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 13th. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $125.00 price target (up previously from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $120.00 target price (up from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday. Thirty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $118.55.

Walmart Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $827.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.83 and a beta of 0.67. The business has a fifty day moving average of $103.52 and a 200-day moving average of $99.91.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $179.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $175.15 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.45% and a net margin of 3.08%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.58 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Collier Financial acquired a new position in Walmart during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Access Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Operose Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 319.7% during the 1st quarter. Operose Advisors LLC now owns 319 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Walmart

Walmart Inc engages in the operation of retail, wholesale, other units, and eCommerce worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam's Club. It operates supercenters, supermarkets, hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, cash and carry stores, and discount stores under Walmart and Walmart Neighborhood Market brands; membership-only warehouse clubs; ecommerce websites, such as walmart.com.mx, walmart.ca, flipkart.com, PhonePe and other sites; and mobile commerce applications.