Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) EVP Daniel Bartlett Sells 1,250 Shares of Stock

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 1,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.77, for a total transaction of $167,212.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 635,593 shares in the company, valued at $85,023,275.61. This represents a 0.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Walmart Trading Up 1.4%

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $133.34 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.06 trillion, a PE ratio of 48.66, a P/E/G ratio of 4.85 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $93.43 and a twelve month high of $134.69. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $126.57 and its 200 day moving average price is $119.46. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. Walmart’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.66 EPS. 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, sell-side analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 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. Investors of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a $0.2475 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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 currently 36.13%.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s push into AI and automation could support margins over time by improving fulfillment efficiency, boosting order values, and lowering operating costs. Walmart’s AI and Automation Push: Long-Term Cost Advantage?
• Positive Sentiment: Investor focus is turning to Walmart’s upcoming earnings report, with analysts watching key operating metrics beyond revenue and EPS for signs that the business is still executing well. Exploring Analyst Estimates for Walmart (WMT) Q1 Earnings, Beyond Revenue and EPS
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart remains a favored defensive retail name as investors compare it with other consumer staples and grocery operators during a volatile market backdrop. Forget Walmart. The Grocer Beating It on Trust and Margin Trades at a Third of the Multiple
• Neutral Sentiment: Several hedge fund filings showed mixed positioning in Walmart, with some managers adding shares and others trimming, which does not clearly change the near-term outlook. Moore Capital Management Boosts Walmart Stake by 3,454 Shares
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,250 shares in a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 transaction, adding a small insider-sale headline that may slightly pressure sentiment. SEC Form 4 filing
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market attention on geopolitical risk, including the Strait of Hormuz closure, may keep investors cautious and can weigh on sentiment even for defensive stocks like Walmart. NVDA, WMT Report This Week, but News on the Strait Is Key

Institutional Trading of Walmart

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fox Run Management L.L.C. purchased a new position in Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,709,000. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. boosted its position in Walmart by 16.6% in the 3rd quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 63,782 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $6,567,000 after buying an additional 9,061 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its position in Walmart by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,010,886 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $104,182,000 after buying an additional 28,026 shares during the period. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners boosted its position in Walmart by 466.6% in the 3rd quarter. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners now owns 13,343 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,375,000 after buying an additional 10,988 shares during the period. Finally, Tradewinds LLC. purchased a new position in Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $11,077,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $135.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, March 6th. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $147.00 price objective (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $138.88.

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.