Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Shares Down 1.8% – What’s Next?

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT)’s stock price traded down 1.8% on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $126.39 and last traded at $126.70. 19,767,115 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 52% from the average session volume of 41,063,230 shares. The stock had previously closed at $129.02.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho raised its WMT price target to $137 and moved to an “outperform” rating, which supports near‑term analyst sentiment and could attract buy interest. Mizuho price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: New “next‑gen” Jacksonville Supercenter highlights Walmart’s omnichannel push (digital integration, faster fulfillment, store layout improvements) that underpins long‑term sales and margin upside. Next‑gen stores
• Positive Sentiment: Analysis suggests Walmart could leverage big‑tech AI investments (partnerships/capex sharing) to accelerate digital/operational transformation without bearing full cost, a potential margin tailwind. AI spending analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple pieces (valuation checks, buy‑lists) note WMT’s recent gains and strong positioning among blue‑chips — supportive background but not an immediate catalyst. Valuation and blue‑chip mentions
• Negative Sentiment: Estee Lauder filed suit alleging Walmart’s marketplace facilitated sales of counterfeit luxury beauty products — a reputational and legal risk that could lead to liability, tighter marketplace scrutiny, or higher compliance costs. Estee Lauder lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: December retail sales came in flat (vs. expected +0.4%), signaling softer consumer demand — a macro headwind for Walmart’s comparable‑sales momentum and near‑term revenue growth. Retail sales data
• Negative Sentiment: Kroger hired former Walmart U.S. CEO Greg Foran as its new CEO — a potential competitive threat as Kroger may accelerate store execution and grocery competition, which can pressure Walmart’s market share in key categories. Kroger hires ex‑WMT exec

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $135.00 price target (up previously from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $126.00 price target (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. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $147.00 target price (up previously from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $132.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Thirty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $126.26.

Walmart Trading Down 1.8%

The company has a 50 day moving average of $116.79 and a 200 day moving average of $107.46. The firm has a market cap of $1.01 trillion, a P/E ratio of 44.32, a PEG 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 posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.02. Walmart had a net margin of 3.26% and a return on equity of 21.31%. The company had revenue of $179.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $175.15 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.58 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. Analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.17, for a total value of $2,313,804.72. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 4,274,856 shares in the company, valued at approximately $509,434,589.52. The trade was a 0.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,388 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total transaction of $166,560.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 645,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $77,477,040. This represents a 0.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 229,196 shares of company stock worth $26,957,858 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Walmart by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $49,015,626,000 after acquiring an additional 4,304,436 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its position in Walmart by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $19,046,104,000 after purchasing an additional 2,242,364 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Walmart by 6.8% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $11,426,753,000 after purchasing an additional 6,517,394 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $6,458,529,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,626,852 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,526,238,000 after buying an additional 328,229 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

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.