Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Stock Price Up 2.2% – Time to Buy?

Shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) were up 2.2% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $109.35 and last traded at $108.42. 25,367,742 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 1% from the average daily volume of 25,720,781 shares. The stock had previously closed at $106.09.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Dunkin’ delivery expands Walmart’s digital ecosystem. Walmart’s partnership with Dunkin’ adds restaurant delivery to its three-month-old service, broadening convenience offerings and giving the retailer another opportunity to increase customer engagement, order frequency and delivery revenue while competing with DoorDash and Uber Eats. Walmart Shoppers Can Now Get Dunkin’ Delivered
• Positive Sentiment: Fraud prevention could become an additional retail technology opportunity. Walmart’s work with Amazon on fraud prevention highlights its efforts to protect shoppers and potentially develop technology and services that improve trust, retention and the economics of digital commerce. Amazon and Walmart Turn Fraud Prevention Into a Retail Product
• Neutral Sentiment: Retail comparisons show Walmart remains a key consumer bellwether. Recent large-format retailer results point to a divided, or “K-shaped,” consumer economy: higher-income shoppers continue spending in some discretionary categories, while value-focused consumers face pressure from elevated grocery costs. This creates both traffic opportunities and potential margin challenges for Walmart. Retail Earnings Expose a Bigger Divide in the U.S. Consumer Economy
• Neutral Sentiment: Haleon’s improved shelf placement reinforces Walmart’s importance to suppliers. Better positioning for Haleon brands such as Sensodyne may support product visibility and sales, though the report primarily benefits Haleon and does not materially change Walmart’s financial outlook. Haleon Secures Better Shelf Space at Walmart
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff and margin concerns are weighing on the investment case. Mixed retail results suggest Walmart may face pressure balancing value pricing with higher product costs, while its elevated earnings multiple leaves less room for execution disappointments.
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory scrutiny adds an overhang. The Department of Justice’s investigation into rising beef prices has expanded to Walmart and other retailers. No wrongdoing has been established, but the inquiry creates potential legal, reputational and compliance risks.
• Neutral Sentiment: An executive share sale was limited and prearranged. EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,950 shares worth approximately $415,000 under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, reducing his direct holdings by only 0.63%; the transaction is therefore a weak trading signal. Daniel Bartlett Sells Walmart Shares

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently issued reports on WMT. DA Davidson set a $132.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 price target (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. UBS Group lowered their price objective on Walmart from $141.00 to $130.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $120.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Erste Group Bank downgraded Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 5th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $131.88.

Walmart Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $850.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.14 and a beta of 0.59. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $110.81 and its 200 day moving average price is $119.62.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The company had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.68 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. Analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other news, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total transaction of $5,335,345.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 201,672 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,246,145.20. This represents a 20.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, EVP Christopher Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total transaction of $308,386.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 569,153 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $60,523,730.02. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 81,242 shares of company stock valued at $8,836,446 over the last three months. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Walmart

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WMT. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in Walmart by 28.8% during 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 boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 5.8% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,849 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $800,000 after buying an additional 485 shares during the period. Peterson Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 3.5% in the 1st quarter. Peterson Wealth Management now owns 50,307 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,416,000 after buying an additional 1,715 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Walmart by 0.9% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 13,008 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,272,000 after buying an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.2% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 91,341 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,931,000 after buying an additional 1,048 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.