Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Stock: Insider Christopher James Nicholas Sells 2,900 Shares

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) EVP Christopher Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 563,353 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $67,940,371.80. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Christopher James Nicholas also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Thursday, September 17th, Christopher Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of Walmart stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.65, for a total value of $309,285.00.
• On Thursday, August 20th, Christopher Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of Walmart stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total value of $308,386.00.

Walmart Stock Up 0.8%

WMT opened at $118.81 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $942.61 billion, a PE ratio of 42.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.53 and a beta of 0.58. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $98.88 and a 12 month high of $135.15. 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 50 day moving average of $108.82 and a 200 day moving average of $116.23.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. Walmart’s revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.68 EPS. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.88 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the second quarter valued at about $7,455,131,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the second quarter worth about $2,905,655,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the second quarter worth about $796,677,000. Deutsche Bank AG increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 54.0% in the second quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 18,607,297 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,107,462,000 after buying an additional 6,525,224 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 44.4% in the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 20,796,957 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,355,463,000 after acquiring an additional 6,393,326 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank upgraded Walmart to Buy and raised its price target to $136 from $113. The bank cited a favorable 2027 outlook, inflation-driven customer traffic and growth opportunities in advertising, marketplace services and Walmart+ membership income. Walmart is a buy as inflation attracts more customers, says Deutsche Bank
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are increasingly valuing Walmart’s higher-margin revenue streams. The retailer’s global e-commerce sales rose 23% in the latest quarter, while marketplace, advertising and membership growth could improve profitability beyond its traditional low-price retail model. Walmart also raised fiscal 2027 adjusted EPS guidance to $2.80-$2.87. Walmart Stock Gets an Upgrade as Analyst Sees More Room to Run
• Positive Sentiment: Expanded employee benefits may support Walmart’s long-term investment story. The company added more than 250 free prescription drugs and up to 12 weeks of paid NICU leave. While benefits could raise costs, Deutsche Bank viewed the move alongside fee-based growth as evidence Walmart is investing in employee retention and more profitable operations. How Benefit Expansion At Walmart Has Changed Its Investment Story
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent operating results remain solid. Walmart’s latest quarterly revenue increased 5.9% year over year to $187.94 billion, and EPS exceeded analyst expectations. Faster pickup, delivery and digital initiatives could further support holiday sales and Walmart+ engagement, though the stock’s elevated valuation limits room for disappointment. Can Walmart’s Faster Shopping Options Boost Holiday Sales Growth?
• Negative Sentiment: Rising costs remain a risk. Walmart and Target are facing pressure from higher operating and merchandise costs, which could squeeze margins if the retailers cannot pass expenses on to consumers. Walmart, Target Face a New Price Problem as Costs Surge
• Negative Sentiment: Several executives reported stock sales, including CEO John Furner. The transactions were conducted under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans and executives retained substantial holdings, reducing their significance, but insider selling can still temper sentiment at recent highs.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Roth Capital restated a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $130.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Citigroup cut their price objective on Walmart from $147.00 to $132.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 21st. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Tigress Financial reissued a “buy” rating and set a $155.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, August 31st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-three have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $132.41.

About Walmart

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.