Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Trading Up 2.2% – Should You Buy?

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT)’s share price was up 2.2% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $115.59 and last traded at $114.95. 20,559,304 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 20% from the average session volume of 25,677,338 shares. The stock had previously closed at $112.53.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: June U.S. retail sales rose, suggesting consumers are still spending and reinforcing Walmart’s appeal as shoppers look for value heading into back-to-school season. Retail Sales Hold Up as Walmart and Amazon Go Back to School
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s back-to-school campaign emphasizes low prices, convenience, and style, which could support traffic and sales as families prepare for the new school year. Walmart Helps Americans Navigate Their Annual Back-to-School Reset with Unmatched Value, Convenience and Style
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is highlighting AI-related workforce and growth initiatives, signaling ongoing investment in operational efficiency and long-term retail competitiveness. Walmart’s people chief says these 10 jobs are still hot in the age of AI
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts continue to debate Walmart’s valuation, with one note saying the stock trades at a rich forward P/E, which may limit upside if growth slows. Walmart Commands a 36.74X Forward P/E: Is the Stock Worth Buying?
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart was also included in several broader market and stock-picking pieces, but those mentions were not company-specific catalysts. 3 Stocks to Own When the Market Gets Ugly in July
• Negative Sentiment: Recent commentary on Walmart’s share price noted the stock fell in the prior session, reflecting some near-term pressure even as the broader market moved higher. Walmart (WMT) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: Here’s Why

Analyst Ratings Changes

WMT has been the subject of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, April 20th. Tigress Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $155.00 target price (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 29th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, June 8th. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their price objective on shares of Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Guggenheim boosted their target price on shares of Walmart from $120.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Walmart currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.85.

Walmart Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $914.78 billion, a PE ratio of 40.33, a PEG ratio of 4.24 and a beta of 0.60. 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 company has a 50-day moving average of $119.44 and a 200-day moving average of $122.08.

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

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total transaction of $413,891.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 630,009 shares in the company, 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 this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total transaction of $1,308,670.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 120,203 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. This trade represents a 8.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 87,145 shares of company stock worth $10,691,920. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $6,458,529,000. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 188.1% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,199,907,000 after acquiring an additional 7,614,172 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Walmart by 6.8% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $11,426,753,000 after purchasing an additional 6,517,394 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors purchased a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $592,848,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Walmart by 1.0% in 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 period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

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.