Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Downgraded by Wall Street Zen to “Hold”

Wall Street Zen cut shares of Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Sunday morning.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on WMT. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and set a $135.00 price target (up previously from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday. Evercore ISI set a $120.00 target price on Walmart and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $123.00 price target (up previously from $111.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $119.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Tigress Financial increased their price objective on shares of Walmart from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Thirty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $123.03.

Walmart Stock Up 0.4%

WMT opened at $119.70 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $111.49 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $104.59. The company has a market capitalization of $954.03 billion, a PE ratio of 41.85, a PEG ratio of 5.10 and a beta of 0.66. Walmart has a 1-year low of $79.81 and a 1-year high of $121.24. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $179.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $175.15 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.31% and a net margin of 3.26%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.58 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Walmart will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Daniel Danker sold 4,365 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.19, for a total value of $524,629.35. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 238,583 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $28,675,290.77. This trade represents a 1.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.91, for a total transaction of $1,508,193.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 733,841 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $84,325,669.31. The trade was a 1.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 135,215 shares of company stock valued at $15,071,810. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WMT. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Access Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Executive succession clarified: John Furner will become CEO next month and promoted longtime insider David Guggina to CEO of Walmart U.S., a move investors interpret as continuity-focused and supportive for execution on omnichannel and AI strategies. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: AI/digital momentum: Coverage highlights Walmart’s AI initiatives and partnerships (Google/Alphabet, OpenAI/ChatGPT) as starting to produce sales/efficiency upside — a strategic story driving valuation premium and analyst optimism. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Fintech and ancillary growth: Walmart‑backed OnePay reached a $4B valuation milestone, signaling potential non‑retail upside from financial-services partnerships. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Multiple firms recently reiterated/raised Buy/Outperform views and targets, reinforcing short‑term institutional demand. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive positioning: Analysts note Walmart is narrowing Amazon’s online lead — a positive strategic trend but one that still leaves intense competition and execution requirements. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Several senior execs disclosed share sales (combined millions), which can be interpreted as routine diversification but may pressure sentiment short term. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: International leadership turnover: Walmart International CEO Kathryn McLay will depart (staying through transition), raising near‑term succession and execution questions for overseas growth. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/tax uncertainty: India’s top court is set to rule on tax treatment of the 2018 Flipkart stake sale (Tiger Global → Walmart), a potential precedent with financial or reputational implications. Read More.

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.