Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) EVP Sells $167,212.50 in Stock

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 1,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.77, for a total transaction of $167,212.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 635,593 shares in the company, valued at approximately $85,023,275.61. This trade represents a 0.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Walmart Trading Up 1.4%

Shares of Walmart stock traded up $1.89 on Monday, hitting $133.34. 17,175,923 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 25,997,682. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $126.37 and its 200-day moving average price is $119.25. The company has a market cap of $1.06 trillion, a PE ratio of 48.66, a PEG ratio of 4.85 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $93.43 and a 52 week high of $134.69.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The business 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 company earned $0.66 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be given a dividend of $0.2475 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.13%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $140.00 target price (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 target price on Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Erste Group Bank raised Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $145.00 target price on Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.88.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s push into AI and automation could improve long-term margins and operating efficiency, with the company using smarter fulfillment and higher-value digital tools to reduce costs. Walmart’s AI and Automation Push: Long-Term Cost Advantage?
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street remains focused on Walmart’s upcoming quarterly results, with investors watching for another solid beat-and-raise-style update given the company’s resilient grocery and value proposition. Home Sales, Nvidia, Walmart, Home Depot, Target, and More to Watch This Week
• Positive Sentiment: Several hedge-fund disclosures showed continued buying interest from some managers, including Soros Fund Management and Moore Capital, which can reinforce sentiment around the stock. Soros Fund Management boosts Walmart stake by 45,355 shares
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are digging into deeper earnings metrics beyond revenue and EPS for Walmart’s April quarter, but the article does not indicate a clear positive or negative surprise yet. Exploring Analyst Estimates for Walmart (WMT) Q1 Earnings, Beyond Revenue and EPS
• Neutral Sentiment: Wider market news is being driven by macro concerns and Nvidia’s earnings, which may influence trading in Walmart indirectly rather than through any Walmart-specific catalyst. NVDA, WMT Report This Week, but News on the Strait Is Key
• Negative Sentiment: Some notable investors trimmed their Walmart positions, including Driehaus Capital and Bridgewater, which could slightly weigh on sentiment despite other funds buying shares. Driehaus Capital trims Walmart stake, selling 5,477 shares

Institutional Trading of Walmart

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. MFA Wealth Services raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.7% in the first quarter. MFA Wealth Services now owns 10,909 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,356,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Realta Investment Advisors lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 2.0% during the first quarter. Realta Investment Advisors now owns 4,089 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $508,000 after buying an additional 81 shares during the period. Compton Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 4.1% during the first quarter. Compton Financial Group LLC now owns 2,081 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $259,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. Renaissance Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Renaissance Group LLC now owns 9,636 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,074,000 after buying an additional 83 shares during the period. Finally, Calton & Associates Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. now owns 27,220 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,033,000 after buying an additional 84 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.