Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Updates Q1 2027 Earnings Guidance

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) issued an update on its first quarter 2027 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 0.610-0.610 for the period. The company issued revenue guidance of $164.0 billion-$164.0 billion. Walmart also updated its FY 2027 guidance to 2.750-2.850 EPS.

Walmart Price Performance

NASDAQ:WMT traded up $0.23 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $126.85. 23,386,412 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 38,875,996. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The stock has a market cap of $1.01 trillion, a PE ratio of 44.28, a PEG ratio of 4.93 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart has a 12 month low of $79.81 and a 12 month high of $134.69. The company has a fifty day moving average of $119.05 and a 200 day moving average of $108.98.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a net margin of 3.26% and a return on equity of 21.31%. The company had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.66 earnings per share. Walmart’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. 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, research analysts anticipate that Walmart will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $125.00 price target (up previously from $108.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. BTIG Research raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on shares of Walmart from $110.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. KeyCorp restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $145.00 price objective (up from $128.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $135.00 target price (up previously from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $128.59.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.99, for a total transaction of $1,574,868.75. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 727,155 shares in the company, valued at $87,251,328.45. This trade represents a 1.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Donna Morris sold 76,181 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.79, for a total transaction of $9,430,445.99. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 402,072 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $49,772,492.88. The trade was a 15.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 210,441 shares of company stock valued at $25,009,289. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat modestly: EPS $0.74 vs. $0.73 consensus and revenue $190.7B (up 5.6% YoY); eCommerce +24%, Walmart Connect/ad business strong and operating income grew double digits — evidence of healthy holiday execution. MarketBeat Earnings Report
• Positive Sentiment: Board raised the annual dividend 5% to $0.99 per share (53rd consecutive year of increases), which supports the income/total‑return thesis for long‑term investors. Dividend Release
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and institutions showed support: Argus upgraded to Strong Buy and firms (DA Davidson reaffirmed buy) maintained bullish price targets; several funds disclosed stake increases ahead of earnings. Argus Upgrade (via Zacks) DA Davidson Note
• Neutral Sentiment: New CEO John Furner’s first report emphasizes a measured, conservative approach as he “keeps the ship steady” — reassuring for long‑term stability but not an immediate catalyst. Reuters: Furner-era Begins
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical/strategic commentary: some market analysts call the post‑earnings pullback a buying opportunity (support cited in $120–$110 range), while others note valuation is elevated after a long rally. MarketBeat: Pullback Opportunity
• Negative Sentiment: Management issued conservative guidance: FY‑2027 EPS guidance of $2.75–2.85 and Q1 EPS of $0.61 came in below consensus (~$2.94 for FY), which trimmed upside expectations and is the primary reason the stock declined. Zacks: Q4 & Guidance Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: shares plunged in pre‑market trade (reported drops ~3%) as investors focused on the cautious profit outlook despite a solid holiday quarter — short‑term selling pressure follows the guidance miss. ProactiveInvestors: Shares Fall After Outlook

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Birchwood Financial Partners Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $50,000. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth about $52,000. Chapman Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth about $59,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new position in Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at about $61,000. Finally, Ankerstar Wealth LLC bought a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at about $64,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Walmart

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.