Erste Group Bank Comments on Walmart FY2028 Earnings

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) – Stock analysts at Erste Group Bank issued their FY2028 earnings per share estimates for shares of Walmart in a research note issued on Wednesday, February 18th. Erste Group Bank analyst S. Lingnau forecasts that the retailer will earn $2.96 per share for the year. The consensus estimate for Walmart’s current full-year earnings is $2.55 per share.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.66 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS.

Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, January 18th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $134.00 price target (up from $129.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday. Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and set a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. Tigress Financial raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group lifted their target price on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $132.53.

Walmart Trading Down 1.5%

Walmart stock opened at $122.99 on Monday. Walmart has a one year low of $79.81 and a one year high of $134.69. The business’s fifty day moving average is $119.37 and its 200 day moving average is $109.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $980.25 billion, a PE ratio of 44.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.97 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.2475 per share. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s payout ratio is currently 34.31%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.27, for a total value of $2,445,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 506,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $61,962,034.28. This represents a 3.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Donna Morris sold 76,181 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.79, for a total transaction of $9,430,445.99. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 402,072 shares in the company, valued at $49,772,492.88. This represents a 15.93% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 211,696 shares of company stock valued at $25,176,467. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Walmart

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WMT. Renaissance Group LLC grew its position in shares of Walmart by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Renaissance Group LLC now owns 9,636 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,074,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. lifted its holdings in Walmart by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. now owns 27,220 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,033,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Advocacy Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Advocacy Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,392 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $378,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the period. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings in Walmart by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,561 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $285,000 after buying an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capstone Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Walmart by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,955 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $552,000 after buying an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Walmart News

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 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.