Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Shares Up 2.8% – Here’s Why

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT)’s share price traded up 2.8% on Friday . The stock traded as high as $128.60 and last traded at $127.95. 29,160,178 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 21% from the average session volume of 37,079,574 shares. The stock had previously closed at $124.42.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America initiated coverage with a “Buy” rating and a $150 price target, signaling materially higher analyst optimism versus the current share level (roughly +17% upside from the cited price).
• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results showed a slight EPS beat (reported $0.74 vs. $0.73 est.) and revenue topped estimates; management issued FY2027 EPS guidance of $2.75–$2.85, supporting multiple expansion and investor confidence.
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is rolling out its Scintilla In-Store data platform and expanding private/partner brands, moves that reinforce higher-margin adjacencies (ads, marketplace, fulfillment) and long-term e‑commerce/store integration growth. Walmart Supplier Tech And New Brands Reframe Stores As Data Platforms
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage consensus remains constructive — a “Moderate Buy” consensus was reported, reflecting institutional buy-side alignment but some variance in targets. Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart leadership will participate in upcoming investor events and webcasts — provides management access to investors for strategy updates and Q&A, which can influence near-term sentiment. Walmart Leadership to Participate in Upcoming Investor Events
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart agreed to settle FTC claims over Spark driver pay for roughly $100M total, including a $16M payout to drivers over alleged misleading pay/tip claims — a near-term cash hit and reputational/legal overhang, though not material to operating margins long-term at scale. Walmart agrees to $100M settlement over deceptive pay practices in Spark Driver program Walmart agrees to pay $16 million to its Spark delivery drivers to settle claims it misled them over tips and pay

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on WMT shares. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $145.00 target price (up from $136.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $140.00 target price (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $140.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Walmart from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 21st. Finally, DA Davidson set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $134.42.

Walmart Trading Up 2.8%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $120.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $109.91. The company has a market capitalization of $1.02 trillion, a P/E ratio of 46.70, a PEG ratio of 5.07 and a beta of 0.65.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.66 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a $0.2475 dividend. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 34.31%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total value of $4,158,004.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 533,466 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,082,852. This represents a 6.01% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,255 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.21, for a total transaction of $167,178.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 586,329 shares in the company, valued at approximately $78,104,886.09. This trade represents a 0.21% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 242,487 shares of company stock valued at $29,369,548. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WMT. Collier Financial bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Access Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Walmart in the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.