Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Sets New 52-Week High After Analyst Upgrade

Shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) reached a new 52-week high on Monday after Mizuho raised their price target on the stock from $125.00 to $137.00. Mizuho currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Walmart traded as high as $131.79 and last traded at $129.9920, with a volume of 2720059 shares. The stock had previously closed at $131.18.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. 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 report on Friday, November 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $119.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $126.00 target price (up from $123.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $135.00 price target (up previously from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Thirty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $125.94.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the company’s 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 506,764 shares in the company, valued at approximately $61,962,034.28. This represents a 3.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,388 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total value of $166,560.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 645,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $77,477,040. The trade was a 0.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 229,196 shares of company stock worth $26,957,858 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho raised its price target on WMT to $137 and put an “outperform” rating on the stock, implying upside from current levels — a direct bullish signal that can drive buying interest from funds that follow analyst guidance. Mizuho raises WMT price target
• Positive Sentiment: DBS initiated/maintained a buy on WMT (press coverage), adding third‑party validation that could support inflows from Asia‑focused or model‑driven investors. DBS buys WMT
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting WMT’s rise to a ~$1 trillion market cap frames the company’s omnichannel and automation progress as a growth story — a sentiment boost for investors focused on structural earnings improvement. Walmart reaches $1T valuation
• Positive Sentiment: A Barron’s piece argues Walmart can benefit from big‑tech AI investment without matching their huge capex, suggesting Walmart could capture AI-driven gains (better supply chain, personalization, automation) while preserving capital — a potentially margin‑supportive narrative. Walmart letting big tech foot AI bill
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger naming ex‑Walmart executive Greg Foran as CEO is notable for talent flow in the grocery sector; it could sharpen competition execution but is not an immediate direct negative for Walmart’s core omnichannel thesis. Kroger names ex‑Walmart exec CEO
• Negative Sentiment: Macro risk: commentary on the bond market and potential Fed policy shifts (yield curve moves, Fed chair nomination coverage) raises recession/inflation volatility concerns — a headwind for broad equity multiples and highly valued consumer names. Bond market warning / macro risk

Institutional Trading of Walmart

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Collier Financial bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Access Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new stake in Walmart in the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Walmart Trading Down 1.6%

The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $116.79 and its 200-day simple moving average is $107.46. The stock has a market cap of $1.03 trillion, a P/E ratio of 45.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.01 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.80.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $179.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $175.15 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.26% and a return on equity of 21.31%. Walmart’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.58 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.