Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Downgraded by Wall Street Zen to “Hold”

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) was downgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Sunday.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on WMT. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $120.00 price target (up previously from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $110.00 to $121.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 21st. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $130.00 price target (up previously from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, December 19th. UBS Group set a $130.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $126.00 price objective (up from $123.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday. Thirty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $123.03.

Walmart Stock Up 0.4%

NASDAQ WMT opened at $119.70 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Walmart has a 1-year low of $79.81 and a 1-year high of $121.24. The company has a 50 day moving average of $111.49 and a 200-day moving average of $104.54. The company has a market cap of $954.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.85, a PEG ratio of 5.10 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $179.50 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $175.15 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.31% and a net margin of 3.26%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.58 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Walmart will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Donna Morris sold 9,384 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.19, for a total value of $1,127,862.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 536,312 shares in the company, valued at approximately $64,459,339.28. This represents a 1.72% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,388 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total transaction of $166,560.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 645,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $77,477,040. This trade represents a 0.21% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 139,215 shares of company stock worth $15,502,810 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 0.9% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 435,652,710 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $44,898,368,000 after buying an additional 3,835,200 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Walmart by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $19,046,104,000 after acquiring an additional 2,242,364 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Walmart by 0.3% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 94,557,532 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $9,199,712,000 after acquiring an additional 263,718 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth $5,367,770,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,298,623 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,153,176,000 after acquiring an additional 634,211 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Executive succession clarified: John Furner will become CEO next month and promoted longtime insider David Guggina to CEO of Walmart U.S., a move investors interpret as continuity-focused and supportive for execution on omnichannel and AI strategies. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: AI/digital momentum: Coverage highlights Walmart’s AI initiatives and partnerships (Google/Alphabet, OpenAI/ChatGPT) as starting to produce sales/efficiency upside — a strategic story driving valuation premium and analyst optimism. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Fintech and ancillary growth: Walmart‑backed OnePay reached a $4B valuation milestone, signaling potential non‑retail upside from financial-services partnerships. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Multiple firms recently reiterated/raised Buy/Outperform views and targets, reinforcing short‑term institutional demand. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive positioning: Analysts note Walmart is narrowing Amazon’s online lead — a positive strategic trend but one that still leaves intense competition and execution requirements. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Several senior execs disclosed share sales (combined millions), which can be interpreted as routine diversification but may pressure sentiment short term. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: International leadership turnover: Walmart International CEO Kathryn McLay will depart (staying through transition), raising near‑term succession and execution questions for overseas growth. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/tax uncertainty: India’s top court is set to rule on tax treatment of the 2018 Flipkart stake sale (Tiger Global → Walmart), a potential precedent with financial or reputational implications. Read More.

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.