Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Shares Down 1.5% Following Insider Selling

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) shares fell 1.5% during mid-day trading on Friday following insider selling activity. The stock traded as low as $121.05 and last traded at $122.99. 34,911,676 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 11% from the average session volume of 39,349,488 shares. The stock had previously closed at $124.87.

Specifically, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,255 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.21, for a total value of $167,178.55. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 586,329 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $78,104,886.09. This represents a 0.21% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WMT has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $138.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 price objective (up previously from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $140.00 target price (up previously from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, DA Davidson set a $150.00 target price on Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $132.53.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management highlights AI/automation and faster e‑commerce growth, which should support margin and productivity improvements over time. The future of retail is AI
• Positive Sentiment: Several brokers raised price targets or reaffirmed buy/outperform calls (Telsey, BTIG, Truist), which provides near‑term support and buyer interest. Telsey raises target
• Positive Sentiment: Board boosted shareholder returns — annual dividend raised to $0.99 and the company has been authorizing buybacks, which underpins cash‑return support. Dividend increase press release
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional activity shows accumulation in recent quarters and some technical analysts view the current pullback as a buying opportunity around $120–$110. That can stabilize downside but may not trigger an immediate rally. MarketBeat buy thesis
• Neutral Sentiment: An EVP sold a small block (1,255 shares) disclosed on a Form 4 — immaterial relative to his total holdings and likely routine liquidity. SEC filing
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance disappointed — FY‑2027 EPS and Q1 guidance came in below consensus and management used cautious language; this guidance miss is the primary driver of today’s selloff. Q4 press release / slides
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns and bearish commentary argue that expected operating‑income gains don’t fully justify high multiples, prompting some investors to trim positions. Seeking Alpha valuation critique
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive narrative: Amazon now surpasses Walmart in annual revenue — symbolic but it focuses investor attention on competitive pressure and growth strategy execution. Amazon surpasses Walmart
• Negative Sentiment: Limited analyst downgrades (HSBC cut to Hold) add to selling pressure from cautious funds. WMT Downgrade video

Walmart Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $980.25 billion, a PE ratio of 44.89, a PEG ratio of 4.99 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $119.37 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $109.33.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The company had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.66 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued a $0.2475 dividend. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s payout ratio is presently 34.31%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. SB Capital Management Inc bought a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $200,000. Catalyst Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $730,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. increased its stake in Walmart by 11.5% during the 4th quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 57,093 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $6,361,000 after purchasing an additional 5,869 shares in the last quarter. Cambient Family Office LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $949,000. Finally, Bauman Advisory Group LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,141,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.