Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Trading 2.1% Higher – Here’s Why

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) was up 2.1% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $109.59 and last traded at $109.2080. Approximately 17,766,500 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 4% from the average daily volume of 18,575,391 shares. The stock had previously closed at $107.00.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on WMT shares. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $120.00 price target (up from $110.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Walmart from $110.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. DA Davidson set a $130.00 target price on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 21st. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group increased their price target on Walmart from $118.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Thirty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $118.55.

Walmart Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $103.81 and its 200-day moving average is $100.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $881.08 billion, a PE ratio of 41.55, a P/E/G ratio of 4.83 and a beta of 0.67.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.02. Walmart had a net margin of 3.08% and a return on equity of 21.45%. The business had revenue of $179.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $175.15 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.58 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP David Chojnowski sold 7,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.65, for a total value of $746,550.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 136,289 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,535,221.85. This trade represents a 4.89% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.75, for a total transaction of $1,374,843.75. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 879,815 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $92,160,621.25. The trade was a 1.47% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 138,597 shares of company stock valued at $14,499,943 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Walmart

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in Walmart by 28.8% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 98,150 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,868,000 after buying an additional 21,939 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 5.8% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,849 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $800,000 after purchasing an additional 485 shares in the last quarter. North Star Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Walmart by 17.4% in the 1st quarter. North Star Asset Management Inc. now owns 12,501 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,097,000 after purchasing an additional 1,856 shares in the last quarter. Private Advisory Group LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 30.3% during the 1st quarter. Private Advisory Group LLC now owns 3,785 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $332,000 after purchasing an additional 880 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Davis R M Inc. raised its position in shares of Walmart by 22.3% in the first quarter. Davis R M Inc. now owns 15,622 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,371,000 after buying an additional 2,847 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

About Walmart

Walmart Inc engages in the operation of retail, wholesale, other units, and eCommerce worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam's Club. It operates supercenters, supermarkets, hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, cash and carry stores, and discount stores under Walmart and Walmart Neighborhood Market brands; membership-only warehouse clubs; ecommerce websites, such as walmart.com.mx, walmart.ca, flipkart.com, PhonePe and other sites; and mobile commerce applications.