Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the thirty-five analysts that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, thirty-one have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $133.6667.

Several research firms have recently issued reports on WMT. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $135.00 target price (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $150.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $140.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. CICC Research began coverage on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, December 26th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $138.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th.

Walmart Price Performance

WMT stock opened at $124.42 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.79. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $120.17 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $109.91. The company has a market capitalization of $991.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.07 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart has a 52-week low of $79.81 and a 52-week high of $134.69.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its earnings results 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 company had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.66 earnings per share. 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 expect that Walmart will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a $0.2475 dividend. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is 34.31%.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 10,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.46, for a total value of $1,214,600.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 108,294 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,153,389.24. The trade was a 8.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 402,072 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $49,772,492.88. This represents a 15.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 242,487 shares of company stock worth $29,369,548. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WMT. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 28.8% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 98,150 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,868,000 after purchasing an additional 21,939 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Walmart by 5.8% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,849 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $800,000 after buying an additional 485 shares during the period. Peterson Wealth Management grew its stake in Walmart by 3.5% in the 1st quarter. Peterson Wealth Management now owns 50,307 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,416,000 after buying an additional 1,715 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in Walmart by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 13,008 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,272,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares during the period. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 1.2% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 91,341 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,931,000 after acquiring an additional 1,048 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart authorized a new $30 billion share‑repurchase program, recently completed a roughly $16.14 billion buyback and approved a $0.99 per‑share annual dividend — actions that return capital to shareholders and support the stock. How Investors May Respond To Walmart E‑commerce Strength And New US$30 Billion Buyback Plan
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have been raising targets and ratings after Walmart’s quarter and strategy — TD Cowen lifted its target and Bernstein has become more constructive, which can support further inflows. TD Cowen Raises Walmart Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding tech-driven store capabilities (Scintilla In‑Store) and rolling select private/partner brands nationwide — moves that bolster e‑commerce/omnichannel margins and advertising/marketplace growth. Walmart Supplier Tech And New Brands Reframe Stores As Data Platforms
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart management will participate in upcoming investor events with live webcasts — increases transparency and gives analysts a forum to ask questions, but is informational rather than catalytic. Walmart Leadership to Participate in Upcoming Investor Events
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart agreed to settle with the FTC over deceptive pay/tip representations in its Spark driver program — the headline figure reported is $100 million, and the company will also pay roughly $16 million directly to drivers as part of relief. This is a reputational/legal hit and a near‑term cash charge (though small versus Walmart’s scale). Walmart Agrees to $100 Million FTC Settlement Over Driver Pay Walmart agrees to pay $16 million to Spark drivers
• Negative Sentiment: An insider sale (John Furner sold 13,125 shares) and some post‑earnings pressure were reported — insider selling and short‑term volatility can add downward pressure on sentiment even if not indicative of long‑term fundamentals. John Furner Sells Shares

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.