Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) Given Average Recommendation of “Buy” by Brokerages

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) has been given an average recommendation of “Buy” by the thirty-four ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $138.8788.

A number of research firms recently issued reports on WMT. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $138.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Argus upgraded Walmart to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Bank of America began coverage on Walmart in a report on Friday, February 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $150.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $140.00 target price (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $138.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have been raising price targets and reiterating bullish ratings on Walmart ahead of earnings, reflecting confidence in the company’s execution and near-term outlook. Walmart stock: Here’s why analysts are raising price targets before Q1 earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is benefiting from its scale, digital expansion, and higher-margin businesses, which are helping it outperform rivals and absorb tariff-related cost pressure better than peers. Scale, online push and loyalty fees: how Walmart won the year of the tariffs
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expected to deliver solid Q1 results, with investors watching for continued omnichannel momentum, e-commerce growth, and gains in ads and membership revenue. Walmart Looks Strong Ahead of Q1 Earnings: Should Investors Stay Put?
• Positive Sentiment: Management’s push into AI and automation could support margins over time by improving fulfillment efficiency and lowering operating costs. Walmart’s AI and Automation Push: Long-Term Cost Advantage?
• Neutral Sentiment: One small insider sale by EVP Daniel Bartlett is a headline risk, but it was a pre-arranged 10b5-1 transaction and does not appear to signal a major change in outlook. SEC Form 4 filing
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader retail comparisons and market worries around consumer spending and geopolitics may create short-term volatility, but they also reinforce Walmart’s defensive appeal. NVDA, WMT Report This Week, but News on the Strait Is Key

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.96, for a total value of $1,600,725.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 687,287 shares in the company, valued at approximately $83,821,522.52. This trade represents a 1.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.46, for a total value of $1,214,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 108,294 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,153,389.24. This represents a 8.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 167,190 shares of company stock valued at $20,975,838 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Walmart

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WMT. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in Walmart in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new stake in Walmart in the third quarter valued at $28,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the first quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the third quarter worth about $30,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Trading Up 0.6%

WMT opened at $134.20 on Wednesday. Walmart has a 52 week low of $93.43 and a 52 week high of $135.16. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $126.78 and a 200-day simple moving average of $119.68. The firm has a market cap of $1.07 trillion, a P/E ratio of 48.98, a P/E/G ratio of 4.93 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The business had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.66 earnings per share. The company’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, equities analysts expect that Walmart will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Investors of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued a $0.2475 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.13%.

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.