Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report published on Saturday morning.

Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on WMT. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $123.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $130.00 target price (up previously from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Robert W. Baird increased 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. CICC Research initiated coverage on Walmart in a report on Friday, December 26th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $125.00 price target for the company. Finally, Tigress Financial upped their price objective on Walmart from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Thirty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $122.37.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT stock opened at $117.97 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $110.06 and a 200 day moving average price of $103.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.80. The stock has a market cap of $940.24 billion, a PE ratio of 41.25, a P/E/G ratio of 5.29 and a beta of 0.66. Walmart has a 1 year low of $79.81 and a 1 year high of $118.84.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.02. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.31% and a net margin of 3.26%.The business had revenue of $179.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $175.15 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.58 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Walmart will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,425 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.00, for a total transaction of $166,725.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 641,363 shares in the company, valued at $75,039,471. This represents a 0.22% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.23, for a total transaction of $244,706.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 617,318 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $68,664,281.14. The trade was a 0.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 125,628 shares of company stock worth $13,690,065 in the last quarter. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Walmart

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Access Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new stake in Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Nasdaq‑100 inclusion — confirmation that Walmart will be added to the Nasdaq‑100 is pushing flows into the stock and signaling recognition of its e‑commerce transformation. This is a primary mechanical and sentiment catalyst. Stock Market Today, Jan. 12: Walmart Jumps on Nasdaq 100 Inclusion
• Positive Sentiment: Google/Alphabet (Gemini) partnership — Walmart and Sam’s Club product catalogs will be integrated into Google’s Gemini/Universal Commerce Protocol, increasing discoverability and enabling “agent‑led” purchases via AI assistants — a structural win for online sales and customer acquisition. Walmart and Google Turn AI Discovery Into Effortless Shopping Experiences
• Positive Sentiment: Drone delivery scale‑up — Walmart plans to expand aerial deliveries to many more stores, which could lower last‑mile costs and improve same‑day convenience, supporting higher e‑commerce margins over time. Walmart Expanding Drone Delivery to Hundreds More Stores
• Positive Sentiment: Options and institutional signals — unusual call buying (roughly 142k calls) and a recent analyst price‑target increase from Bernstein indicate short‑term bullish positioning and growing analyst conviction. Bernstein Raises Walmart Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Sam’s Club membership strength — membership income and renewal trends are healthy, which is supportive for recurring revenue but already baked into estimates. Sam’s Club membership article
• Neutral Sentiment: OnePay employee buyback / valuation — Walmart‑backed fintech OnePay’s higher valuation signals fintech upside in Walmart’s ecosystem but it’s a secondary, longer‑term value driver. OnePay valuation report
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and macro risks — Walmart trades at an elevated multiple for a retailer (PE ~41); the stock’s run is partly mechanical (index inclusion) so it may be vulnerable to profit‑taking or broader market rotation. Ongoing macro or regulatory headlines could pressure the name. No direct article

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.