Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Issues FY 2027 Earnings Guidance

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) issued an update on its FY 2027 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 2.800-2.870 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 2.890. The company issued revenue guidance of $734.7 billion-$741.7 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $751.8 billion. Walmart also updated its Q3 2027 guidance to 0.620-0.640 EPS.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of WMT stock opened at $114.30 on Thursday. 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 company has a market capitalization of $909.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.11, a P/E/G ratio of 4.31 and a beta of 0.61. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $114.03 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $121.49. Walmart has a one year low of $95.42 and a one year high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Walmart will post 2.88 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings lowered Walmart from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Erste Group Bank lowered Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.50.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total value of $413,891.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 630,009 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $69,074,186.76. The trade was a 0.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total value of $1,435,203.96. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,985,527.94. This represents a 8.74% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 54,164 shares of company stock valued at $6,389,402 in the last three months. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s long record of revenue beats and solid e-commerce momentum could support an earnings surprise. Analysts expect approximately $0.73 in adjusted EPS and nearly $185 billion in revenue, representing more than 5% year-over-year sales growth. Walmart Q2 Preview
• Positive Sentiment: Higher-margin businesses, particularly Walmart Connect advertising and e-commerce, are expected to help offset the cost of competitive pricing and delivery investments. DA Davidson also reiterated a Buy rating. Walmart Advertising Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Options traders are anticipating a sizable post-earnings move, making the results and management’s updated outlook more important than the headline quarterly figures. Expected Walmart Earnings Move
• Negative Sentiment: Investor caution reflects Walmart’s previously weaker-than-expected full-year outlook, moderating same-store sales momentum and thousands of price cuts intended to protect customer traffic. Slower sales growth could pressure margins if advertising and other higher-profit businesses do not compensate. Walmart Sales Growth Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation is another headwind: Walmart trades at roughly 40 times earnings, leaving limited room for disappointment. Analysts and market data have flagged downside risk if guidance remains cautious or the earnings report fails to exceed elevated expectations. Walmart Valuation Concern

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Birchwood Financial Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $50,000. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $52,000. Ankerstar Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $64,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $61,000. Finally, Chapman Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $59,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.