Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Stock Price Up 2.8% – Should You Buy?

Shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) shot up 2.8% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $112.45 and last traded at $111.84. 28,211,285 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 8% from the average daily volume of 26,147,357 shares. The stock had previously closed at $108.82.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity suggested traders are positioning for a rebound, with call volume jumping above normal levels. This often signals bullish speculation on near-term upside.
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s AI push with Google’s Gemini and its broader e-commerce/advertising ecosystem are being viewed as potential long-term growth catalysts, especially if agentic shopping gains traction.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to point to Walmart Connect, retail media, omnichannel growth, and marketplace expansion as higher-margin businesses that could support profits over time.
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage around Walmart helping seniors navigate Medicare coverage for obesity drugs highlights its growing role in healthcare services, a modest positive for its consumer ecosystem.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WMT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $135.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, March 6th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 18th. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 price objective on Walmart in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $140.00 price objective on Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.85.

Walmart Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $890.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.24, a PEG ratio of 4.22 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $122.87 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $122.18.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.66. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The company had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.61 EPS. Walmart’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total transaction of $1,308,670.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 120,203 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. This trade represents a 8.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.19, for a total transaction of $342,751.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 574,953 shares in the company, valued at $67,953,695.07. This trade represents a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders sold 104,505 shares of company stock valued at $12,858,514. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Walmart in the first quarter valued at about $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 57.4% during the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC increased its position in Walmart by 193.0% during the 4th quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

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.