Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) CTO Suresh Kumar Sells 166,342 Shares of Company Stock

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) CTO Suresh Kumar sold 166,342 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.21, for a total value of $20,494,997.82. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer owned 1,632,223 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $201,106,195.83. This trade represents a 9.25% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Walmart Stock Performance

Walmart stock traded down $2.83 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $124.86. 20,989,358 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 24,837,939. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $110.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $118.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $990.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.08, a P/E/G ratio of 4.29 and a beta of 0.58. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $98.88 and a 1 year high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.68 earnings per share. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on WMT. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $120.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday. They set a “strong-buy” rating on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 target price (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $115.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Freedom Capital raised Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Four research analysts have 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $132.41.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Compton Financial Group LLC raised its stake in Walmart by 4.1% in the 1st quarter. Compton Financial Group LLC now owns 2,081 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $259,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the period. Strait & Sound Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Walmart by 0.3% during the first quarter. Strait & Sound Wealth Management LLC now owns 25,443 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,162,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the period. Lodestar Private Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Walmart by 0.9% during the first quarter. Lodestar Private Asset Management LLC now owns 9,577 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,190,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the period. Kassira Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.8% in the third quarter. Kassira Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,538 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,199,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bernicke Wealth Management Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.7% in the second quarter. Bernicke Wealth Management Ltd. now owns 12,548 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,421,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s e-commerce sales are reportedly growing faster than Amazon’s, and the company has gained online market share. That growth could help support its longer-term sales outlook. Article: 1 Stat That Makes Walmart Hard to Ignore This November
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding its Sparky AI shopping assistant ahead of the holiday season. The initiative could improve customer engagement and order spending, though its sales impact remains to be seen. Article: Can Walmart’s Expanded Sparky AI Boost Holiday Shopping and Sales?
• Neutral Sentiment: A Zacks analysis says Walmart’s earnings history and current indicators make another earnings beat possible. This is an analyst expectation, not a reported result. Article: Why Walmart Is Poised to Beat Earnings Estimates Again
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is investigating whistleblower claims of vendor kickbacks at Flipkart; the allegations have not been established. The company also announced a home backup-energy offering and plans for a Texas robotics facility, developments whose financial effects are unclear. Article: Walmart Probes Flipkart Claims As It Expands Into Power And Texas Robotics
• Negative Sentiment: Recent commentary has called Walmart’s valuation stretched and reiterated a “strong sell” view. Concerns that the share price already reflects substantial growth could pressure sentiment, despite the company’s defensive retail profile. Article: Walmart: Back To The Strong Sell Rating Article: Walmart’s Defensive Reputation Collides With A Stretched Valuation

Walmart Company Profile

Walmart Inc (NASDAQ:WMT) operates a global retail business through a network of supercenters, supermarkets, discount stores, neighborhood markets, warehouse clubs and e-commerce platforms. Its stores and websites sell a broad assortment of merchandise, including groceries, consumables, health and wellness products, apparel, electronics, home goods, toys and other general merchandise.

The company organizes its operations into Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam’s Club U.S. Walmart U.S.