Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) has been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty-nine ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-two have issued a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $131.8824.

Several research firms have recently weighed in on WMT. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Citigroup reduced their target price on Walmart from $147.00 to $132.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 21st. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $140.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Freedom Broker raised Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $120.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: High-margin advertising business supports profitability. Goldman Sachs highlighted Walmart’s advertising operations as an increasingly important, high-margin contributor, potentially improving the company’s earnings mix as the business scales. Walmart’s ad business stands out as high margin contributor—Goldman Sachs
• Positive Sentiment: Delivery expansion could increase customer engagement and market share. Walmart is partnering with Papa John’s to offer restaurant delivery through its app and website, with plans to expand from select markets to thousands of locations. The initiative adds new food occasions and may strengthen Walmart’s ecosystem and digital sales. Walmart Delivery Push Gains Momentum with Papa John’s Partnership
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart+ is becoming more valuable to members. A new Citgo partnership expands the Walmart+ fuel-savings benefit to more than 4,000 additional stations, offering members discounts during a period of elevated gasoline prices. The move could support membership retention and attract cost-conscious consumers. Walmart+ Expands Gas Savings Program as Fuel Prices Surge
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent earnings trends remain supportive, but investment is rising. Walmart’s earnings beat estimates, with revenue growth and digital gains supporting its outlook. However, heavier capital spending and higher operating costs could limit near-term profit expansion. Walmart Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates but Can Higher Costs Limit Upside?
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation leaves limited room for disappointment. Analysts noted that Walmart’s strong digital and earnings growth is already reflected in a rich forward valuation. Higher costs and increased spending could make the stock’s entry point less forgiving. Should Investors Buy Walmart Stock as Growth Meets a Rich Valuation?

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other news, EVP Christopher Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total value of $308,386.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 569,153 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $60,523,730.02. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,950 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.14, for a total transaction of $415,303.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 622,349 shares in the company, valued at $65,433,773.86. This represents a 0.63% 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 have sold a total of 67,879 shares of company stock valued at $7,235,277 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Walmart

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its stake in Walmart by 11,189.0% in the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 755,604,916 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $85,579,813,000 after buying an additional 748,911,635 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 6,517,394 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter valued at $7,455,131,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at $6,458,529,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,626,852 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,526,238,000 after acquiring an additional 328,229 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Stock Up 1.8%

WMT stock opened at $109.08 on Tuesday. Walmart has a 12 month low of $98.88 and a 12 month high of $135.15. The firm has a market cap of $865.41 billion, a PE ratio of 39.38, a P/E/G ratio of 4.09 and a beta of 0.59. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $110.21 and a 200 day simple moving average of $118.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.68 earnings per share. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Walmart will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Walmart

Walmart Inc is a multinational retail and technology company that operates supercenters, discount stores, neighborhood markets, e-commerce platforms and membership warehouse clubs. Its merchandise includes groceries, apparel, electronics, home goods, health and beauty products, general merchandise and other consumer products.

Founded by Sam Walton in 1962 and incorporated in 1969, Walmart is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas. The company serves customers through operations in the United States and international markets, including Mexico, Canada, China, India and several countries in Central America and Africa.