Insider Selling: Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) EVP Sells 1,388 Shares of Stock

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 1,388 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total value of $166,560.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 645,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $77,477,040. This represents a 0.21% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Walmart Stock Performance

WMT traded up $0.50 during trading on Friday, reaching $119.70. 410,231,342 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 61,927,707. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.24. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $79.81 and a 1 year high of $121.24. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $111.15 and its 200-day simple moving average is $104.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $954.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.12 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued 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 3.26% and a return on equity of 21.31%. The firm had revenue of $179.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $175.15 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.58 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently weighed in on WMT. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $119.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $125.00 target price (up from $108.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $129.00 price target (up from $122.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, January 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $121.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $125.00 price objective (up previously from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Thirty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $123.03.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Executive succession clarified: John Furner will become CEO next month and promoted longtime insider David Guggina to CEO of Walmart U.S., a move investors interpret as continuity-focused and supportive for execution on omnichannel and AI strategies. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: AI/digital momentum: Coverage highlights Walmart’s AI initiatives and partnerships (Google/Alphabet, OpenAI/ChatGPT) as starting to produce sales/efficiency upside — a strategic story driving valuation premium and analyst optimism. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Fintech and ancillary growth: Walmart‑backed OnePay reached a $4B valuation milestone, signaling potential non‑retail upside from financial-services partnerships. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Multiple firms recently reiterated/raised Buy/Outperform views and targets, reinforcing short‑term institutional demand. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive positioning: Analysts note Walmart is narrowing Amazon’s online lead — a positive strategic trend but one that still leaves intense competition and execution requirements. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Several senior execs disclosed share sales (combined millions), which can be interpreted as routine diversification but may pressure sentiment short term. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: International leadership turnover: Walmart International CEO Kathryn McLay will depart (staying through transition), raising near‑term succession and execution questions for overseas growth. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/tax uncertainty: India’s top court is set to rule on tax treatment of the 2018 Flipkart stake sale (Tiger Global → Walmart), a potential precedent with financial or reputational implications. Read More.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Howard Capital Management Group LLC increased its position in shares of Walmart by 10.4% during the fourth quarter. Howard Capital Management Group LLC now owns 13,455 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,499,000 after purchasing an additional 1,267 shares in the last quarter. Aspire Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 43.5% during the fourth quarter. Aspire Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,986 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $444,000 after buying an additional 1,209 shares in the last quarter. Marino Stram & Associates LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 14.3% in the fourth quarter. Marino Stram & Associates LLC now owns 17,572 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,958,000 after buying an additional 2,198 shares during the last quarter. Pacific Sage Partners LLC boosted its position in Walmart by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Pacific Sage Partners LLC now owns 11,727 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,307,000 after acquiring an additional 230 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tower Wealth Partners Inc. purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $330,000. 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.