Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Stock Price Up 2.3% on Analyst Upgrade

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT)’s stock price rose 2.3% on Monday after Truist Financial raised their price target on the stock from $127.00 to $139.00. Truist Financial currently has a buy rating on the stock. Walmart traded as high as $126.80 and last traded at $125.81. Approximately 25,266,733 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 35% from the average daily volume of 38,954,125 shares. The stock had previously closed at $122.99.

Several other research analysts have also commented on the stock. Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Telsey Advisory Group raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $145.00 price target (up from $128.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 13th. HSBC cut Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $122.00 to $131.00 in a research note on Friday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $140.00 price objective (up from $126.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $132.53.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Donna Morris sold 76,181 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.79, for a total value of $9,430,445.99. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 402,072 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $49,772,492.88. This trade represents a 15.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.83, for a total transaction of $2,171,291.28. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 4,315,333 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $482,583,689.39. This represents a 0.45% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders sold 211,696 shares of company stock valued at $25,176,467. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Telsey Advisory raised its price target to $140 and reiterated an Outperform, citing Walmart’s strengthening leadership in retail — a direct boost to investor confidence. Telsey Advisory Sees Walmart (WMT) Strengthening Position as Retail Leader
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst shops (BTIG, others) have reiterated buy ratings and raised price targets (to ~$139–$140 range), supporting upside expectations after the quarter. Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Price Target Raised to $139.00
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart U.S. reported 4.6% comp-store growth for FY26 driven by traffic, grocery strength and e‑commerce — Zacks asks whether that momentum is sustainable into FY27 but the figure underpins current optimism. WMT’s U.S. Segment Momentum: Are 4.6% Comp Sales Sustainable for FY27?
• Positive Sentiment: Data from dunnhumby shows Walmart’s U.S. household penetration hit a new high (~72%), reflecting defensive demand as consumers trade down to mass retailers—positive for sales and market share. Walmart, Dollar Stores Beat Traditional Grocers’ Reach As Affordability Crunch Intensifies, Report Finds
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s earnings call highlighted focus areas (e‑commerce, AI, buybacks) that signal strategic execution and capital return priorities; these are positive long-term but require follow-through. Walmart Earnings Call: E-Commerce, AI and Buybacks
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces and trend stories (Zacks, Yahoo, investor sites) note WMT is a trending/low-volatility dividend pick; these help sentiment but may already be priced in. Here is What to Know Beyond Why Walmart Inc. (WMT) is a Trending Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling was reported and shares briefly reacted; while not uncommon, elevated insider exits can raise near-term concerns about executive confidence. Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Shares Down 1.5% Following Insider Selling
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart warned of a possible “hiring recession” and broader commentary flagged weakening labor-market bifurcation—macroeconomic softness could pressure discretionary spending over time. Walmart Warns of “Hiring Recession” as Michael S. Eisenga…

Institutional Trading of Walmart

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Collier Financial bought a new stake in Walmart in the third quarter worth $25,000. Access Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new stake in Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Walmart during the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $1.00 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.92, a P/E/G ratio of 4.97 and a beta of 0.65. 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 firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $119.37 and a 200 day simple moving average of $109.37.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The firm’s revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm 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. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

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

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.