Morgan Stanley Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Stock

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) had its price target raised by equities research analysts at Morgan Stanley from $135.00 to $140.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “overweight” rating on the retailer’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s target price points to a potential upside of 7.40% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on WMT. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 price objective on Walmart in a research note on Friday, March 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of Walmart from $127.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $145.00 target price (up from $128.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, 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. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and two have issued 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 Performance

Walmart stock traded up $0.75 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $130.35. The stock had a trading volume of 3,748,755 shares, compared to its average volume of 28,190,018. The stock has a market cap of $1.04 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.76 and a beta of 0.66. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $125.67 and its two-hundred day moving average is $116.44. Walmart has a 1 year low of $91.89 and a 1 year high of $134.69. 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) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The firm had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.66 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly 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, analysts predict that Walmart will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.16, for a total transaction of $2,391,274.56. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,213,406 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $518,923,082.96. This trade represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total transaction of $2,555,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 486,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $62,203,571.56. This trade represents a 3.95% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 263,376 shares of company stock valued at $32,598,466 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in Walmart by 28.8% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 98,150 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,868,000 after purchasing an additional 21,939 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in Walmart by 5.8% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,849 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $800,000 after purchasing an additional 485 shares during the period. Peterson Wealth Management grew its position in Walmart by 3.5% in the 1st quarter. Peterson Wealth Management now owns 50,307 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,416,000 after purchasing an additional 1,715 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its position in Walmart by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 13,008 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,272,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the period. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its position in Walmart by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 91,341 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,931,000 after purchasing an additional 1,048 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s revamp of its Great Value private‑label across ~10,000 items aims to capture value‑focused shoppers and improve margins/loyalty — a tangible retail strategy that can support sales and comps. Walmart Revamps ‘Great Value’ Brand as Shoppers Shift to Lower-Priced Options
• Positive Sentiment: Acceleration of same‑day delivery, store modernization and staging for faster fulfillment positions Walmart to monetize logistics and defend against Amazon on speed for essentials. Execution here supports revenue growth and higher customer lifetime value. Walmart targets Amazon’s biggest edge with aggressive delivery overhaul
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding its healthcare/offering (Better Care Services, GLP‑1 weight‑management support), which diversifies revenue, raises basket spend and leverages pharmacy/telehealth — a higher‑margin growth avenue. Walmart Boosts Growth Playbook With Healthcare, Omnichannel Push
• Positive Sentiment: Back to the Roots partnership to expand regenerative gardening SKUs at Walmart is a niche merchandising win that supports sustainability branding and incremental grocery traffic. Back to the Roots Scales Regenerative Movement Nationwide; Expanding Pioneering Soil Health Set to Walmart Stores for Year Two
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage and bullish commentary (Zacks, Motley Fool) and recent earnings that beat estimates reinforce investor confidence and help lift the stock in a mixed market. Is It Worth Investing in Walmart (WMT) Based on Wall Street’s Bullish Views?
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart remains a widely “trending” and watched stock — high attention can amplify moves (both up and down) but is not a directional fundamental by itself. Walmart Inc. (WMT) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces comparing Walmart to Dollar General and analyses of the firm’s Amazon rivalry highlight strategic tradeoffs (scale, price vs. convenience) — useful context for positioning but not immediate catalysts. Walmart or Dollar General: Which Retail Stock Offers Better Prospects?
• Negative Sentiment: A California judge’s report alleging Amazon coerced vendors (naming pressure on partners dealing with Walmart) raises antitrust/competitive headlines that could ripple through vendor relations and policy scrutiny in e‑commerce — a reputational/legal risk for the sector. California says Amazon coerced companies like Walmart and Levi into illegally raising prices

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.