Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Hits New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $134.69 and last traded at $133.2760, with a volume of 1529985 shares. The stock had previously closed at $133.89.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results: Walmart reported $0.74 EPS (beat by $0.01) and revenue of $190.66B (above consensus). The quarter showed margin improvement and operating income gains, supporting the business-quality narrative. WSJ: Walmart Reports Strong Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend hike: Board approved a 5% raise to an annual $0.99/share (53rd consecutive increase) — supports income investors and signals confidence in cash flow. BusinessWire: Dividend Increase
• Positive Sentiment: Top-line drivers: Global revenue +5.6% (4.9% cc), global e‑commerce +24%, and Walmart Connect advertising grew strongly — these secular growth engines (online fulfillment, marketplace, ads) underpin longer-term upside. BusinessWire: Revenue Growth & Segment Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional buying/analyst support: Several funds boosted WMT stakes, and DA Davidson reiterated a Buy with a $135 target — incremental demand and analyst backing can limit downside. TipRanks: Institutional Stake Increases StreetInsider: DA Davidson Reiterates Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: New CEO transition: This is John Furner’s first earnings cycle as CEO — investors are watching execution but the change is framed as “steady management,” so near-term impact is unclear. CNBC: Earnings Preview / New CEO
• Negative Sentiment: FY 2027 guidance below consensus: Walmart set FY2027 EPS at $2.75–2.85 versus a ~2.94 consensus — that shortfall is the main catalyst pressuring the stock (investors repricing near-term earnings).
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 guidance limited: Q1 EPS guided to $0.610 (flat range) — conservative near‑term outlook increases sensitivity to macro/consumer weakness.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and “priced-in” expectations: Shares have rallied (~year-to-date strength, $1T market cap), so some analysts warn the rally may be priced for perfection — guidance miss + rich multiple amplify downside risk. Seeking Alpha: Earnings Expectations / Valuation

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WMT has been the topic of a number of research reports. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $130.00 target price (up from $123.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Raymond James Financial restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Walmart from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 21st. Truist Financial set a $127.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $128.59.

Walmart Stock Performance

The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $119.05 and its 200 day simple moving average is $108.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.80. The stock has a market cap of $1.01 trillion, a PE ratio of 44.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.93 and a beta of 0.65.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.31% and a net margin of 3.26%.The company’s revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous 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. Analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.99, for a total value of $1,574,868.75. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 727,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $87,251,328.45. The trade was a 1.77% 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 business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 402,072 shares in the company, valued at approximately $49,772,492.88. The trade was a 15.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 210,441 shares of company stock worth $25,009,289. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Collier Financial purchased a new position in Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Access Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the second quarter worth $26,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the third quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.