Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Shares Down 1.7% – Should You Sell?

Shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) fell 1.7% on Friday. The stock traded as low as $123.03 and last traded at $125.52. 24,706,412 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 1% from the average session volume of 24,906,193 shares. The stock had previously closed at $127.72.

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 Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Mizuho cut their target price on Walmart from $130.00 to $125.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, September 29th. BNP Paribas Exane restated an “outperform” rating and set a $137.00 price target (down from $146.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $115.00 price objective (down from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $126.00 price objective (down from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, DA Davidson reissued a “buy” rating and set a $132.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $129.62.

Walmart Stock Performance

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 company has a market capitalization of $995.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.53 and a beta of 0.53. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $112.48 and its 200-day simple moving average is $118.59.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released 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. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%. The firm had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $186.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.68 EPS. Walmart’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. Analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.88 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, CTO Suresh Kumar sold 166,342 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 30th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at $201,106,195.83. The trade was a 9.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,990 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.41, for a total transaction of $416,595.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 618,359 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $64,562,863.19. This trade represents a 0.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 268,222 shares of company stock valued at $31,604,051. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Montgomery Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth about $32,000. Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda. purchased a new stake in Walmart during the second quarter worth approximately $34,000. Pingora Partners LLC acquired a new position in Walmart in the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. PMV Capital Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Walmart in the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Team Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the third quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

About Walmart

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.