Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Stock Price Down 1.1% – Should You Sell?

Shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) were down 1.1% during mid-day trading on Thursday. The company traded as low as $127.39 and last traded at $127.72. Approximately 41,568,067 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 67% from the average daily volume of 24,872,256 shares. The stock had previously closed at $129.17.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: ETFs added a net $40.3 million of Walmart shares on Nov. 4, indicating institutional fund demand. 54 ETFs Add to Walmart (WMT) on Wednesday
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding its drone-delivery partnership with Zipline, which has raised $1.5 billion at a $21.5 billion valuation. A broader partnership could help Walmart improve delivery capabilities, though the articles do not specify its financial impact. Zipline hits $21.5B valuation as Walmart expands bet on drone delivery
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is working with Meta to integrate its Muse AI shopping agent into the online shopping experience, a move that could create new ways to reach customers and facilitate purchases. What Is Walmart (WMT) Betting On With Its New AI Shopping Agent?
• Neutral Sentiment: A report on potential rate hikes discusses consumer-staples stocks as potentially attractive in that environment. Higher rates may also pressure valuations, so the implication for Walmart is mixed. Rate Hikes Could Be Coming: History Likes These 4 Consumer Staples Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart executive Suresh Kumar sold 166,342 shares. Insider sales can weigh on sentiment, although a sale alone does not establish a change in the company’s outlook. Walmart Stock: Insider Suresh Kumar Sells 166,342 Shares

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on WMT. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $115.00 price target (down from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Tigress Financial reissued a “buy” rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, August 31st. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and set a $125.00 price objective (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, October 20th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $130.00 price objective (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Walmart from $137.00 to $131.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $129.62.

Walmart Trading Down 1.7%

The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The firm has a market cap of $995.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.31, a PEG ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $112.48 and a 200-day moving average price of $118.59.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%. Walmart’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $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, research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.88 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.60, for a total value of $349,740.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 563,353 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $67,940,371.80. The trade was a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.60, for a total transaction of $1,582,875.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 634,790 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $76,555,674. This trade represents a 2.03% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 268,222 shares of company stock valued at $31,604,051 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Strait & Sound Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Walmart by 0.3% in the first quarter. Strait & Sound Wealth Management LLC now owns 25,443 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,162,000 after buying an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Kassira Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Kassira Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,538 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,199,000 after buying an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Bernicke Wealth Management Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 0.7% during the 2nd quarter. Bernicke Wealth Management Ltd. now owns 12,548 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,421,000 after buying an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. MBE Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. MBE Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,306 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $967,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the period. Finally, BCM Advisors LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. BCM Advisors LLC now owns 2,956 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $385,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Company Profile

Walmart is a multinational retailer that operates discount stores, supercenters, neighborhood markets, and membership warehouse clubs. Its business includes Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam’s Club.

The company sells groceries and a broad range of general merchandise, including apparel, electronics, household goods, and health and wellness products. Walmart also serves customers through e-commerce, with services such as order pickup and delivery.

Founded by Sam Walton in 1962, Walmart is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas.