Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) CEO John Furner Sells 13,125 Shares of Company Stock

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) CEO John Furner sold 13,125 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.60, for a total value of $1,582,875.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 634,790 shares in the company, valued at $76,555,674. This trade represents a 2.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Walmart Stock Up 0.8%

NASDAQ WMT traded up $0.94 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $118.81. 20,604,799 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 22,941,198. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $98.88 and a 1-year high of $135.15. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $108.82 and a 200-day simple moving average of $116.23. The company has a market cap of $942.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.89, a P/E/G ratio of 4.49 and a beta of 0.58.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently commented on WMT. Evercore set a $125.00 price objective on Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Weiss Ratings lowered Walmart from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $128.00 target price (down from $137.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded Walmart to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-three have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $132.41.

Institutional Trading of Walmart

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Rise Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 11.8% in the third quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 5,073 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $527,000 after acquiring an additional 535 shares during the period. James T. Borello RIA acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the third quarter worth $129,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its position in Walmart by 9.7% during the third quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 9,784 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,017,000 after acquiring an additional 864 shares during the period. YANKCOM Partnership increased its position in Walmart by 2.7% during the third quarter. YANKCOM Partnership now owns 11,309 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,175,000 after acquiring an additional 301 shares during the period. Finally, Financial & Tax Architects LLC increased its position in Walmart by 8.9% during the third quarter. Financial & Tax Architects LLC now owns 76,784 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $7,979,000 after acquiring an additional 6,272 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank upgraded Walmart to Buy and raised its price target to $136 from $113. The bank cited a favorable 2027 outlook, inflation-driven customer traffic and growth opportunities in advertising, marketplace services and Walmart+ membership income. Walmart is a buy as inflation attracts more customers, says Deutsche Bank
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are increasingly valuing Walmart’s higher-margin revenue streams. The retailer’s global e-commerce sales rose 23% in the latest quarter, while marketplace, advertising and membership growth could improve profitability beyond its traditional low-price retail model. Walmart also raised fiscal 2027 adjusted EPS guidance to $2.80-$2.87. Walmart Stock Gets an Upgrade as Analyst Sees More Room to Run
• Positive Sentiment: Expanded employee benefits may support Walmart’s long-term investment story. The company added more than 250 free prescription drugs and up to 12 weeks of paid NICU leave. While benefits could raise costs, Deutsche Bank viewed the move alongside fee-based growth as evidence Walmart is investing in employee retention and more profitable operations. How Benefit Expansion At Walmart Has Changed Its Investment Story
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent operating results remain solid. Walmart’s latest quarterly revenue increased 5.9% year over year to $187.94 billion, and EPS exceeded analyst expectations. Faster pickup, delivery and digital initiatives could further support holiday sales and Walmart+ engagement, though the stock’s elevated valuation limits room for disappointment. Can Walmart’s Faster Shopping Options Boost Holiday Sales Growth?
• Negative Sentiment: Rising costs remain a risk. Walmart and Target are facing pressure from higher operating and merchandise costs, which could squeeze margins if the retailers cannot pass expenses on to consumers. Walmart, Target Face a New Price Problem as Costs Surge
• Negative Sentiment: Several executives reported stock sales, including CEO John Furner. The transactions were conducted under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans and executives retained substantial holdings, reducing their significance, but insider selling can still temper sentiment at recent highs.

About Walmart

Walmart Inc (NASDAQ: WMT) is a multinational retailer that operates supercenters, discount stores, neighborhood markets, warehouse clubs and e-commerce platforms. Its merchandise includes groceries, apparel, electronics, home goods, health and wellness products, household essentials and general merchandise. Walmart also provides services such as grocery pickup and delivery, pharmacy services, financial products and digital advertising.

The company serves customers through its Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam’s Club segments.