Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Shares Down 2.4% Following Insider Selling

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT)’s share price traded down 2.4% during mid-day trading on Wednesday following insider selling activity. The stock traded as low as $117.45 and last traded at $118.13. 21,645,436 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 17% from the average daily volume of 26,101,914 shares. The stock had previously closed at $121.03.

Specifically, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,385 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.83, for a total value of $165,964.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 633,784 shares in the company, valued at approximately $75,946,336.72. The trade was a 0.22% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 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 stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,985,527.94. This represents a 8.74% decrease in their position. 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.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on WMT. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $120.00 price objective on Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 target price on Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Bank of America began coverage on Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $150.00 price target for the company. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Craig Hallum set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, March 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.85.

Walmart Price Performance

The firm has a fifty day moving average of $124.81 and a 200-day moving average of $122.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firm has a market cap of $932.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.41 and a beta of 0.59.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 1st quarter worth about $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Walmart during the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC increased its position 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 buying an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.