Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) had its target price hoisted by BTIG Research from $140.00 to $145.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat reports. BTIG Research currently has a buy rating on the retailer’s stock.
WMT has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and set a $134.00 price objective (up from $129.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and set a $140.00 price objective (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, February 9th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, April 20th. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on Walmart from $127.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group boosted their price objective on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $138.09.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Walmart
Walmart Stock Performance
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The firm’s revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm 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. Research analysts predict that Walmart will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.
Walmart Announces Dividend
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Investors of record on Friday, December 11th will be given a dividend of $0.2475 per share. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.13%.
Insider Activity at Walmart
In related news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total transaction of $4,158,004.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 533,466 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $65,082,852. This represents a 6.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.71, for a total value of $2,460,201.36. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,023,209 shares in the company, valued at $509,780,812.39. This represents a 0.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 167,195 shares of company stock worth $20,975,804 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Trading of Walmart
Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $6,458,529,000. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 188.1% during the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,199,907,000 after purchasing an additional 7,614,172 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 6.8% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $11,426,753,000 after purchasing an additional 6,517,394 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $592,848,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Walmart by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $49,015,626,000 after purchasing an additional 4,304,436 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.
Walmart News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen boosted its price target on Walmart to $150 and kept a Buy rating, which supports sentiment around the stock. Walmart (WMT) Gets a Buy from TD Cowen
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart was included among the 10 best inflation-hedge stocks for 2026, reinforcing its defensive appeal if consumer budgets remain tight. Walmart (WMT) – Among the 10 Best Inflation-Hedge Stocks to Buy for 2026
- Positive Sentiment: Another write-up echoed the inflation-hedge theme and TD Cowen’s raised target, adding to the bullish analyst narrative. Walmart (WMT) – Among the 10 Best Inflation-Hedge Stocks to Buy for 2026
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart opened a third U.S. milk processing facility, which may support supply-chain control and lower long-term costs. Walmart Inc. (WMT) Opens Third Milk Processing Facility in the United States, Reuters Reports
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart expanded its wellness aisles with exclusive men’s grooming and women’s health products, which could help drive traffic and sales in higher-margin categories. Walmart Expands Wellness Aisles With Exclusive Grooming And Women’s Health Lines
- Neutral Sentiment: Coverage ahead of retail earnings highlighted Walmart as a key read on consumer spending, but this is more of a macro watch item than a direct catalyst. Retail Earnings Will Show How Much Pressure Consumers Are Under
- Neutral Sentiment: CNBC noted that higher-income shoppers are helping drive Walmart’s strength this year, underscoring a favorable demand mix. Walmart has been on fire this year. How high earners are driving up the stock
- Neutral Sentiment: BTIG Research also issued a positive outlook on Walmart, adding to the broader analyst support. BTIG Research Issues Positive Forecast for Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Stock Price
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.
Further Reading
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