Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Upgraded at Argus

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) was upgraded by research analysts at Argus to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

WMT has been the subject of a number of other reports. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $140.00 price target (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, February 9th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $135.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday. Truist Financial set a $127.00 price target on Walmart in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $140.00 price target (up from $126.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Walmart presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $128.59.

Walmart Stock Down 1.7%

Walmart stock opened at $126.62 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $1.01 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.27, a PEG ratio of 4.93 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Walmart has a 12 month low of $79.81 and a 12 month high of $134.69. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $119.05 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $108.98.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.31% and a net margin of 3.26%.The company had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $188.37 billion. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Walmart will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.83, for a total transaction of $2,171,291.28. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 4,315,333 shares in the company, valued at approximately $482,583,689.39. This trade represents a 0.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP David Chojnowski sold 7,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.65, for a total transaction of $746,550.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 136,289 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,535,221.85. The trade was a 4.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 210,441 shares of company stock worth $25,009,289 in the last quarter. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Renaissance Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Renaissance Group LLC now owns 9,636 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,074,000 after buying an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. grew its position in Walmart by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. now owns 27,220 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,033,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Advocacy Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Walmart by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Advocacy Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,392 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $378,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in Walmart by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,561 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $285,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the period. Finally, Capstone Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,955 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $552,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results: Walmart reported $0.74 EPS (beat by $0.01) and revenue of $190.66B (above consensus). The quarter showed margin improvement and operating income gains, supporting the business-quality narrative. WSJ: Walmart Reports Strong Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend hike: Board approved a 5% raise to an annual $0.99/share (53rd consecutive increase) — supports income investors and signals confidence in cash flow. BusinessWire: Dividend Increase
• Positive Sentiment: Top-line drivers: Global revenue +5.6% (4.9% cc), global e‑commerce +24%, and Walmart Connect advertising grew strongly — these secular growth engines (online fulfillment, marketplace, ads) underpin longer-term upside. BusinessWire: Revenue Growth & Segment Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional buying/analyst support: Several funds boosted WMT stakes, and DA Davidson reiterated a Buy with a $135 target — incremental demand and analyst backing can limit downside. TipRanks: Institutional Stake Increases StreetInsider: DA Davidson Reiterates Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: New CEO transition: This is John Furner’s first earnings cycle as CEO — investors are watching execution but the change is framed as “steady management,” so near-term impact is unclear. CNBC: Earnings Preview / New CEO
• Negative Sentiment: FY 2027 guidance below consensus: Walmart set FY2027 EPS at $2.75–2.85 versus a ~2.94 consensus — that shortfall is the main catalyst pressuring the stock (investors repricing near-term earnings).
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 guidance limited: Q1 EPS guided to $0.610 (flat range) — conservative near‑term outlook increases sensitivity to macro/consumer weakness.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and “priced-in” expectations: Shares have rallied (~year-to-date strength, $1T market cap), so some analysts warn the rally may be priced for perfection — guidance miss + rich multiple amplify downside risk. Seeking Alpha: Earnings Expectations / Valuation

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.