Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) Receives Average Rating of “Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) have earned a consensus rating of “Buy” from the thirty-four ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $138.6667.

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $145.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, April 20th. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $147.00 price objective (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 5th. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $145.00 price objective (up from $128.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group increased their price objective on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.21, for a total transaction of $2,566,989.36. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,193,995 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $554,488,078.95. This represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, 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 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 approximately $62,203,571.56. This represents a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 167,195 shares of company stock valued at $20,975,804. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Walmart

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart during the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in Walmart during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new stake in Walmart during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Trading Up 2.2%

Walmart stock opened at $130.35 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $126.12 and a 200-day simple moving average of $118.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.04 trillion, a PE ratio of 47.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.75 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart has a 12-month low of $91.89 and a 12-month high of $134.69.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The business’s revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.66 earnings per share. 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 expect that Walmart will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued a $0.2475 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.13%.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reiterated its Walmart price target ahead of earnings, reinforcing a favorable analyst outlook for the retailer. Morgan Stanley reiterates Walmart stock price target pre-earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s planned layoffs/relocations of roughly 1,000 corporate workers may be viewed as a cost-cutting move that could improve operating efficiency, especially as the company consolidates technology and AI teams. Walmart Lays Off or Relocates About 1,000 Corporate Workers
• Neutral Sentiment: Other coverage this week noted pressure on Walmart’s margins from its grocery-heavy sales mix, although e-commerce, advertising and efficiency gains are helping offset some of that pressure. Walmart’s Category Mix Pressures Margins: More Pain Ahead?
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart also faces a new higher minimum wage requirement in parts of California, which could add labor cost pressure if passed through broadly across stores. Walmart braces for new $18 California law

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.