John Furner Sells 13,125 Shares of Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Stock

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) EVP John Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.99, for a total transaction of $1,574,868.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 727,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $87,251,328.45. The trade was a 1.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Walmart Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $119.70 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $954.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.85, a PEG ratio of 5.10 and a beta of 0.66. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $79.81 and a 12 month high of $121.24. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $111.49 and a 200 day moving average price of $104.54.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $179.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $175.15 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.31% and a net margin of 3.26%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.58 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WMT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Evercore ISI set a $120.00 price target on Walmart and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. DA Davidson set a $130.00 target price on Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. CICC Research began coverage on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, December 26th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $125.00 price target on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $119.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Walmart from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Thirty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $123.03.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Executive succession clarified: John Furner will become CEO next month and promoted longtime insider David Guggina to CEO of Walmart U.S., a move investors interpret as continuity-focused and supportive for execution on omnichannel and AI strategies. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: AI/digital momentum: Coverage highlights Walmart’s AI initiatives and partnerships (Google/Alphabet, OpenAI/ChatGPT) as starting to produce sales/efficiency upside — a strategic story driving valuation premium and analyst optimism. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Fintech and ancillary growth: Walmart‑backed OnePay reached a $4B valuation milestone, signaling potential non‑retail upside from financial-services partnerships. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Multiple firms recently reiterated/raised Buy/Outperform views and targets, reinforcing short‑term institutional demand. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive positioning: Analysts note Walmart is narrowing Amazon’s online lead — a positive strategic trend but one that still leaves intense competition and execution requirements. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Several senior execs disclosed share sales (combined millions), which can be interpreted as routine diversification but may pressure sentiment short term. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: International leadership turnover: Walmart International CEO Kathryn McLay will depart (staying through transition), raising near‑term succession and execution questions for overseas growth. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/tax uncertainty: India’s top court is set to rule on tax treatment of the 2018 Flipkart stake sale (Tiger Global → Walmart), a potential precedent with financial or reputational implications. Read More.

Institutional Trading of Walmart

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WMT. Howard Capital Management Group LLC increased its position in Walmart by 10.4% during the 4th quarter. Howard Capital Management Group LLC now owns 13,455 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,499,000 after buying an additional 1,267 shares in the last quarter. Aspire Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Walmart by 43.5% during the fourth quarter. Aspire Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,986 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $444,000 after acquiring an additional 1,209 shares during the last quarter. Marino Stram & Associates LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 14.3% during the fourth quarter. Marino Stram & Associates LLC now owns 17,572 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,958,000 after acquiring an additional 2,198 shares in the last quarter. Pacific Sage Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Pacific Sage Partners LLC now owns 11,727 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,307,000 after purchasing an additional 230 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tower Wealth Partners Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $330,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.