Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Shares Up 3.8% on Analyst Upgrade

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT)’s stock price was up 3.8% on Thursday after BTIG Research raised their price target on the stock from $125.00 to $140.00. BTIG Research currently has a buy rating on the stock. Walmart traded as high as $134.49 and last traded at $133.64. Approximately 33,303,658 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 17% from the average daily volume of 40,045,469 shares. The stock had previously closed at $128.77.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Mizuho raised their price target on Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Truist Financial set a $127.00 price objective on Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. CICC Research started coverage on Walmart in a research report on Friday, December 26th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $140.00 target price (up previously from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday. Thirty-two equities 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 stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $127.74.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.83, for a total transaction of $2,171,291.28. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 4,315,333 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $482,583,689.39. The trade was a 0.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, SVP David Chojnowski sold 7,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.65, for a total value of $746,550.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 136,289 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,535,221.85. This trade represents a 4.89% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 229,196 shares of company stock valued at $26,957,858 over the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer raised its price target to $140 and kept an Outperform stance, citing a solid Q4 outlook — this helped underpin investor optimism. Oppenheimer price target increased
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage-driven buying: reports noted WMT trading higher after analyst upgrades, which can attract short-term flows ahead of earnings. Walmart trading higher after upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Telsey Advisory reaffirmed an Outperform and set a $135 target, reinforcing the buy-side narrative that execution improvements (esp. e‑commerce/AI) justify support. Telsey reaffirmation
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst projections and previews (Zacks) suggest key metrics point to a likely beat on some lines, but they highlight modest growth — expectations are elevated going into Q4. Zacks analyst projections
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart will host its Q4 earnings call on Feb. 19 — this event is the immediate catalyst for volatility as investors weigh AI-driven margin commentary against guidance. Earnings call announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: PRIMECAP trimmed its stake slightly — notable as an institutional action but not large enough to indicate a major shift in ownership stance. PRIMECAP trims stake
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary (Reuters) frames Walmart amid broader AI-driven volatility — investors are watchful for any guidance or AI-related execution risks discussed on the call. Wall St week ahead
• Negative Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha piece downgraded WMT, arguing the stock trades at a rich ~50x blended P/E despite execution gains from AI — valuation concerns could cap upside if growth disappoints. Seeking Alpha downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Estée Lauder filed suit alleging counterfeit products sold via Walmart’s marketplace — potential reputational, legal, and marketplace-control implications that investors will watch closely. Estée Lauder sues Walmart

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Collier Financial acquired a new position in Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Access Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new position in Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Up 0.2%

The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $118.11 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $108.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.80. The stock has a market cap of $1.07 trillion, a P/E ratio of 46.81, a P/E/G ratio of 5.11 and a beta of 0.65.

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

Walmart Company Profile

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.