Erste Group Bank Upgrades Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) to “Strong-Buy”

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) was upgraded by investment analysts at Erste Group Bank from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. HSBC cut shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $122.00 to $131.00 in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Raymond James Financial restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $135.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $125.00 price objective (up from $108.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 price objective (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $135.76.

Walmart Stock Performance

WMT stock opened at $125.79 on Thursday. Walmart has a 1-year low of $79.81 and a 1-year high of $134.69. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The business’s 50 day moving average is $124.97 and its 200-day moving average is $114.28. The firm has a market cap of $1.00 trillion, a P/E ratio of 45.91, a P/E/G ratio of 4.69 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The business had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.66 EPS. Walmart’s revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. 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 analysts anticipate that Walmart will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.10, for a total transaction of $1,694,437.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 591,084 shares in the company, valued at approximately $76,308,944.40. This represents a 2.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Donna Morris sold 76,181 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.79, for a total transaction of $9,430,445.99. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 402,072 shares in the company, valued at $49,772,492.88. This trade represents a 15.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 274,278 shares of company stock valued at $33,825,793. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Renaissance Group LLC lifted its position in Walmart by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Renaissance Group LLC now owns 9,636 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,074,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the period. Calton & Associates Inc. grew its position in shares of Walmart by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. now owns 27,220 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,033,000 after buying an additional 84 shares during the period. Advocacy Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Advocacy Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,392 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $378,000 after buying an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,561 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $285,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capstone Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,955 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $552,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group upgraded Walmart from “hold” to “strong-buy,” signaling institutional confidence and likely supporting demand for the shares. Zacks.com
• Positive Sentiment: A bullish analyst note projects steady growth and a 12-month price target (~$130.57), giving investors a modest upside thesis tied to continued execution. Walmart Price Prediction: Steady Growth Makes Analysts Bullish
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart will pay its second 2026 dividend on April 6, which supports income-focused holders and can reduce near-term selling pressure around income flows. Walmart to pay 2026’s second dividend in April; Here’s how much 100 WMT shares will earn
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is testing a Sam’s Club membership fee increase and raising rewards caps — a sign of pricing power and potential margin upside if membership retention holds. Walmart Tests Sam’s Club Fee Hike Against Member Value And Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts/coverage note Walmart is shifting toward growth via expanding ad revenue and memberships, and Sam’s Club expansion, which helps operating income outpace sales — a longer-term positive re-rating catalyst. Walmart Stock Is Transforming Into a Growth Stock. Is It Time to Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: Walmex (Walmart’s Mexico unit) plans a $2.5B 2026 investment, signaling international expansion and capacity spending that could support future top-line growth. Walmart (WMT) Unit Walmex Plans $2.5B Investment in Mexico
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and pundit commentary (e.g., Jim Cramer) express bullish technical and sentiment views, which can amplify momentum trading but are less material than fundamental catalysts. Jim Cramer on Walmart
• Neutral Sentiment: Reporting shows Walmart shoppers so far are holding up despite ~$4 gas — a sign of resilience but also a watch item if fuel prices keep rising. Walmart shoppers aren’t breaking under the weight of $4 gas (yet)
• Negative Sentiment: An AOL piece highlights a Walmart-related recession indicator at its highest since 2008 — a macro risk that could pressure consumer spending and margins if the signal proves accurate. A Walmart-related recession indicator is at its highest since the 2008 financial crisis

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.