Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) CEO Sells $1,600,725.00 in Stock

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) CEO John Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.96, for a total transaction of $1,600,725.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 687,287 shares in the company, valued at $83,821,522.52. This trade represents a 1.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Walmart Stock Down 1.7%

Walmart stock opened at $119.02 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $948.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.44, a PEG ratio of 4.43 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.79. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $79.81 and a fifty-two week high of $134.69. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $124.08 and a 200-day simple moving average of $112.95.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The firm had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.66 EPS. Walmart’s quarterly 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. Equities research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be given a dividend of $0.2475 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s payout ratio is presently 36.13%.

Institutional Trading of Walmart

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the third quarter valued at $28,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Walmart in the third quarter valued at $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have commented on WMT. CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, December 26th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. Erste Group Bank reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Walmart from $127.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $135.00 price objective (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $145.00 target price (up from $136.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $135.76.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Growing AI narrative and modest analyst upside: coverage notes that Walmart’s AI investments (supply-chain, store ops) are reshaping its growth story and one valuation model nudged fair value slightly higher to ~$136, supporting longer-term upside. This bolsters bullish investor interest in WMT as a tech-enabled retailer. How Walmart (WMT) Is Rewriting Its Story With AI Hype And Valuation Questions
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/technical support for defensive retail: coverage from Barron’s highlights Walmart alongside other defensive retail names on both technical and fundamental grounds, which can attract risk-off flows and relative-strength buyers in uncertain markets. Walmart, Ross Stores, and Other ‘Defensive’ Retail Stocks
• Positive Sentiment: Market narrative that Walmart is an AI play: features arguing Walmart (and Target) are meaningful AI plays could lift investor conviction around margin improvement and efficiency gains over time. Forget Chipmakers: Walmart and Target Are the Real AI Plays
• Neutral Sentiment: Higher-than-usual call buying: intraday activity showed a ~42% increase in call option volume, which signals bullish positioning but could be speculative or short-term. Watch whether this leads to sustained buying or just short-term gamma flow.
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO transition focus: commentary on managing and positioning around CEO transitions notes both risk and opportunity — transitions can create volatility but also potential strategic shifts. Investors should watch messaging and execution from leadership. How to Play 3 Major CEO Transitions in Early 2026 (WMT)
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling by CEO: CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares (~1.87% reduction in his position) in a disclosed SEC filing — insider sales can be interpreted negatively by some investors even if part of routine diversification. Insider Sale SEC Filing

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.