Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) has received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty-six research firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-one have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $138.8529.

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Tigress Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $155.00 price objective (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 29th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 target price (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Erste Group Bank cut shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 5th.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s ad business, Walmart Connect, is being viewed as an increasingly important margin driver, supported by ad growth, seller spending, and e-commerce gains. This helps offset concerns about retail margin pressure. Is Walmart Connect Becoming a Bigger Margin Driver for WMT?
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is also benefiting from its role in helping seniors navigate new Medicare coverage for obesity drugs, which reinforces its healthcare-related services and customer reach. Healthy Returns: Walmart, CVS step in to help seniors navigate Medicare coverage of obesity drugs
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart+ engagement appears to be supported by popular fuel discounts, which could help membership retention and recurring revenue over time. Walmart+ Executive Says Fuel Discounts Supercharge Member Engagement
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor attention remains elevated around WMT, with recent articles highlighting the stock’s large valuation and the market’s ongoing debate about whether e-commerce and store investments can justify the premium.
• Negative Sentiment: Traders are selling Walmart after a research note from Cleveland Research suggested U.S. comparable sales have “slowed to some degree,” raising concerns that domestic growth momentum may be cooling. Walmart Shares Slip Amid Sales Slowdown Concerns
• Negative Sentiment: Another note said Walmart shares have fallen to near an eight-month low as analysts flag slowing sales, reinforcing concerns that near-term fundamentals may not match the stock’s valuation. WMT Stock Sinks To Near Eight-Month Low — Cleveland Research Flags Slowing Sales

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.19, for a total value of $342,751.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 574,953 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $67,953,695.07. The trade was a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total value of $1,435,203.96. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at $14,985,527.94. This trade represents a 8.74% 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 ninety days, insiders sold 100,730 shares of company stock worth $12,444,624. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Walmart in the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Walmart by 57.4% during the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the period. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 193.0% during the fourth quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $108.82 on Thursday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $122.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $122.18. Walmart has a 1-year low of $94.23 and a 1-year high of $135.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $866.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.18, a PEG ratio of 4.22 and a beta of 0.60.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The business’s revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.61 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. Analysts forecast that Walmart will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

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.