Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the thirty-five research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-one have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $133.6667.

A number of research firms have recently commented on WMT. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of Walmart from $127.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $145.00 price objective (up from $128.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $140.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, CICC Research assumed coverage on Walmart in a report on Friday, December 26th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company.

Walmart Stock Down 1.1%

WMT stock opened at $124.42 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $120.17 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $109.91. Walmart has a twelve month low of $79.81 and a twelve month high of $134.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $991.65 billion, a PE ratio of 45.41, a PEG ratio of 5.07 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.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. Walmart’s revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.66 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Walmart will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

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 paid a $0.2475 dividend. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis 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%.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.27, for a total transaction 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. The trade was a 3.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.83, for a total transaction of $2,171,291.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 4,315,333 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $482,583,689.39. This trade represents a 0.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 242,487 shares of company stock worth $29,369,548. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Walmart

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WMT. Collier Financial bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the third quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the third quarter worth about $30,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart authorized a new $30 billion share‑repurchase program, recently completed a roughly $16.14 billion buyback and approved a $0.99 per‑share annual dividend — actions that return capital to shareholders and support the stock. How Investors May Respond To Walmart E‑commerce Strength And New US$30 Billion Buyback Plan
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have been raising targets and ratings after Walmart’s quarter and strategy — TD Cowen lifted its target and Bernstein has become more constructive, which can support further inflows. TD Cowen Raises Walmart Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding tech-driven store capabilities (Scintilla In‑Store) and rolling select private/partner brands nationwide — moves that bolster e‑commerce/omnichannel margins and advertising/marketplace growth. Walmart Supplier Tech And New Brands Reframe Stores As Data Platforms
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart management will participate in upcoming investor events with live webcasts — increases transparency and gives analysts a forum to ask questions, but is informational rather than catalytic. Walmart Leadership to Participate in Upcoming Investor Events
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart agreed to settle with the FTC over deceptive pay/tip representations in its Spark driver program — the headline figure reported is $100 million, and the company will also pay roughly $16 million directly to drivers as part of relief. This is a reputational/legal hit and a near‑term cash charge (though small versus Walmart’s scale). Walmart Agrees to $100 Million FTC Settlement Over Driver Pay Walmart agrees to pay $16 million to Spark drivers
• Negative Sentiment: An insider sale (John Furner sold 13,125 shares) and some post‑earnings pressure were reported — insider selling and short‑term volatility can add downward pressure on sentiment even if not indicative of long‑term fundamentals. John Furner Sells Shares

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.