FY2028 EPS Estimates for Walmart Reduced by Erste Group Bank

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) – Equities researchers at Erste Group Bank dropped their FY2028 earnings per share estimates for Walmart in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, April 2nd. Erste Group Bank analyst S. Lingnau now forecasts that the retailer will earn $3.24 per share for the year, down from their prior estimate of $3.25. Erste Group Bank has a “Strong-Buy” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Walmart’s current full-year earnings is $2.55 per share.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.66 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and set a $134.00 price objective (up from $129.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Argus upgraded Walmart to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating and set a $125.00 price objective (up from $108.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and set a $145.00 price objective (up from $136.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $120.00 price objective on Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $137.12.

Walmart Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of WMT stock opened at $129.13 on Thursday. Walmart has a 1 year low of $88.16 and a 1 year high of $134.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $125.71 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $114.92. The company has a market cap of $1.03 trillion, a PE ratio of 47.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.74 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued a $0.2475 dividend. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is presently 36.13%.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total value of $2,555,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at approximately $62,203,571.56. This represents a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.96, for a total value of $1,600,725.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 687,287 shares in the company, valued at approximately $83,821,522.52. The trade was a 1.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 274,278 shares of company stock valued at $33,825,793. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Collier Financial purchased a new position in Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP purchased a new position in Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Neuberger Berman analyst John San Marco says Walmart (and Costco) deserve rich valuations, which supports investor confidence in WMT’s long-term growth positioning and helps sentiment. Costco and Walmart Deserve Their Rich Valuations, This Analyst Says
• Positive Sentiment: Celebrity investor/media support: Jim Cramer continues to highlight Walmart as a top retail holding — media praise amplifies retail investor interest and can sustain buying momentum. Jim Cramer Makes Major Prediction For Walmart (WMT) Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic growth initiatives: Coverage notes Walmart’s EV charging rollout as a new, tangible growth/ESG initiative that can drive store traffic and small-service revenue streams while underscoring long-term network leverage. Walmart EV Charging Push Adds New Dimension To Investment Case
• Neutral Sentiment: YTD performance and fundamentals: Coverage highlights a ~14% YTD rise driven by omnichannel e‑commerce, ad monetization and memberships, but notes the stock carries a premium multiple and faces macro risk — useful context but mixed for immediate price action. Walmart Stock Gains 14% YTD: Buy, Hold or Take Profits Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate updates and forums: Walmart presented at the J.P. Morgan Retail Round-Up (transcript available) — investor takeaways will depend on operational detail and execution updates in the transcript. Walmart Inc. (WMT) Presents at J.P. Morgan Retail Round Up Forum 2026 Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Minor analyst model tweak: Erste Group trimmed its FY2028 EPS forecast by a penny while maintaining a Strong‑Buy — a negligible earnings cut but a note that analysts are still parsing forward assumptions.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation & re‑rating risk: Several pieces ask whether WMT is still reasonably priced after a big multi‑year run; premium multiples raise the risk of pullbacks if growth or margin improvements slow. Is Walmart (WMT) Still Reasonably Priced After A 51% One Year Share Price Surge?
• Negative Sentiment: Sam’s Club membership price hikes: New Sam’s Club fee increases (effective May 1) could lift ARPU, but risk member backlash or churn that investors will monitor. New Sam’s Club Price Hikes Take Effect May 1. Should You Buy Walmart Stock First?

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.