Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Raised to Hold at Freedom Capital

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) was upgraded by analysts at Freedom Capital from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on WMT. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $138.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Bank of America initiated coverage on Walmart in a report on Friday, February 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $150.00 target price for the company. Finally, KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.71.

Walmart Trading Down 0.9%

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $120.27 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $958.67 billion, a PE ratio of 42.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.49 and a beta of 0.65. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $126.77 and a 200 day moving average price of $120.03. Walmart has a 12-month low of $93.43 and a 12-month high of $135.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66. The firm had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.Walmart’s revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.61 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Walmart will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total value of $359,368.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 577,853 shares in the company, valued at $71,607,543.76. This trade represents a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.21, for a total value of $2,566,989.36. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,193,995 shares in the company, valued at approximately $554,488,078.95. This represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 126,008 shares of company stock valued at $15,896,715 over the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Walmart

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the first quarter worth about $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the third quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart posted solid first-quarter results, with revenue of $177.8 billion and EPS of $0.66, while e-commerce sales rose 26% and advertising revenue jumped 37%, highlighting continued strength in digital and membership-driven businesses.
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts remained constructive after earnings: Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating and said Walmart is well positioned to gain share in a price-sensitive environment, while BTIG and BNP Paribas Exane also kept positive ratings despite modestly trimming price targets.
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart disclosed pre-arranged insider sales by CEO John Furner and EVP Christopher James Nicholas, but both transactions were made under 10b5-1 plans, which typically limits how much investors read into them.
• Neutral Sentiment: News reports also noted leadership changes, including the departure of Sam’s Club COO Tom Ward and U.S. stores EVP Cedric Clark, adding some uncertainty but not appearing to change the company’s near-term operating outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Shares weakened after Walmart issued second-quarter EPS guidance below consensus and reaffirmed full-year targets that also came in below Wall Street expectations, prompting concerns that margin pressure could continue.
• Negative Sentiment: Management said elevated fuel prices are pressuring both consumers and Walmart’s own costs, reinforcing worries that spending could soften and profitability could stay under pressure in the coming quarters.

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.