Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Shares Down 1.5% After Insider Selling

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) shares traded down 1.5% on Friday after an insider sold shares in the company. The company traded as low as $121.05 and last traded at $122.99. 34,911,676 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 11% from the average session volume of 39,349,488 shares. The stock had previously closed at $124.87.

Specifically, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,255 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.21, for a total transaction of $167,178.55. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 586,329 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $78,104,886.09. The trade was a 0.21% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have commented on WMT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Walmart from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $145.00 target price on Walmart in a report on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $120.00 target price on Walmart in a research note on Friday. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and set a $145.00 price target (up from $136.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday. Finally, Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $140.00 price target (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, February 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $132.53.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management highlights AI/automation and faster e‑commerce growth, which should support margin and productivity improvements over time. The future of retail is AI
• Positive Sentiment: Several brokers raised price targets or reaffirmed buy/outperform calls (Telsey, BTIG, Truist), which provides near‑term support and buyer interest. Telsey raises target
• Positive Sentiment: Board boosted shareholder returns — annual dividend raised to $0.99 and the company has been authorizing buybacks, which underpins cash‑return support. Dividend increase press release
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional activity shows accumulation in recent quarters and some technical analysts view the current pullback as a buying opportunity around $120–$110. That can stabilize downside but may not trigger an immediate rally. MarketBeat buy thesis
• Neutral Sentiment: An EVP sold a small block (1,255 shares) disclosed on a Form 4 — immaterial relative to his total holdings and likely routine liquidity. SEC filing
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance disappointed — FY‑2027 EPS and Q1 guidance came in below consensus and management used cautious language; this guidance miss is the primary driver of today’s selloff. Q4 press release / slides
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns and bearish commentary argue that expected operating‑income gains don’t fully justify high multiples, prompting some investors to trim positions. Seeking Alpha valuation critique
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive narrative: Amazon now surpasses Walmart in annual revenue — symbolic but it focuses investor attention on competitive pressure and growth strategy execution. Amazon surpasses Walmart
• Negative Sentiment: Limited analyst downgrades (HSBC cut to Hold) add to selling pressure from cautious funds. WMT Downgrade video

Walmart Trading Down 1.5%

The stock’s 50 day moving average is $119.37 and its 200-day moving average is $109.26. The company has a market cap of $980.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.89, a PEG ratio of 5.07 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.24 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 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. The business 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 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 issued a $0.2475 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.87%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WMT. CWM LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 24.2% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,175,703 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $121,168,000 after purchasing an additional 229,220 shares in the last quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.8% in the second quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 5,091,126 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $497,771,000 after buying an additional 42,645 shares in the last quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 16.6% during the 3rd quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 63,782 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $6,567,000 after acquiring an additional 9,061 shares during the last quarter. Aviva PLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 16.4% during the 2nd quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 3,833,720 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $374,861,000 after acquiring an additional 539,504 shares in the last quarter. Finally, World Investment Advisors grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 5.2% in the 3rd quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 293,866 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $30,286,000 after acquiring an additional 14,487 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

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.