Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Shares Down 1.4% Following Insider Selling

Shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) traded down 1.4% on Monday following insider selling activity. The stock traded as low as $103.76 and last traded at $103.85. 41,934,250 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 126% from the average session volume of 18,550,502 shares. The stock had previously closed at $105.32.

Specifically, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.75, for a total transaction of $1,374,843.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 879,815 shares in the company, valued at approximately $92,160,621.25. The trade was a 1.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Kathryn J. Mclay sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $101.63, for a total transaction of $406,520.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 1,040,455 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $105,741,441.65. This trade represents a 0.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,630 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $102.58, for a total transaction of $167,205.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 642,788 shares in the company, valued at $65,937,193.04. The trade was a 0.25% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WMT has been the subject of several recent research reports. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $120.00 price target (up previously from $110.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price objective on Walmart from $118.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. Erste Group Bank raised shares of Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of Walmart from $110.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Evercore ISI reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $115.00 price target (up from $111.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. Thirty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $118.55.

Walmart Price Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average is $103.53 and its 200-day moving average is $99.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $827.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.04, a PEG ratio of 4.83 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.23.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $179.50 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $175.15 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.08% and a return on equity of 21.45%. Walmart’s revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.58 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Operose Advisors LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 319.7% during the first quarter. Operose Advisors LLC now owns 319 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 243 shares during the period. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the third quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Company Profile

Walmart Inc engages in the operation of retail, wholesale, other units, and eCommerce worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam's Club. It operates supercenters, supermarkets, hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, cash and carry stores, and discount stores under Walmart and Walmart Neighborhood Market brands; membership-only warehouse clubs; ecommerce websites, such as walmart.com.mx, walmart.ca, flipkart.com, PhonePe and other sites; and mobile commerce applications.