Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Shares Down 1.4% – Time to Sell?

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) shares traded down 1.4% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $124.40 and last traded at $124.87. 42,883,800 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 9% from the average session volume of 39,479,777 shares. The stock had previously closed at $126.62.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly beat and strong underlying cash flow — Q4 EPS of $0.74 (vs. $0.73 est.) and revenue of $190.7B; operating income, margins and free cash flow improved, supporting valuation and buybacks. Earnings Release
• Positive Sentiment: Digital and ad businesses accelerating — global eCommerce +24% and Walmart Connect ad revenue up ~37% (U.S. +41%), showing higher-margin growth drivers that justify premium multiples. Zacks: E‑commerce & Ad Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Capital returns stepped up — board raised annual dividend to $0.99 (+5%) and approved a new $30B buyback authorization, supporting shareholder returns during the pullback. Dividend Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/institutional positioning — several upgrades and buy-side accumulation were noted ahead of/after the print, creating a potential support base even as the stock digests guidance. MarketBeat: Buy‑on‑Pullback
• Neutral Sentiment: Leadership transition — new CEO John Furner’s first report emphasized a cautious, steady approach; investors may view this as prudent but less growth‑oriented in the near term. Reuters: Furner Era
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance disappointed — FY‑2027 EPS guidance of $2.75–2.85 and Q1 EPS 0.61 fell short of consensus (~$2.94), triggering profit‑taking despite the quarter’s strength. MarketBeat: Guidance Commentary
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive headline — Amazon surpassing Walmart in annual revenue (symbolic but market‑moving) and commentary that the outlook is “conservative” amplified selling pressure. CNBC: Amazon vs Walmart

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WMT has been the topic of a number of research reports. Argus raised shares of Walmart to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $135.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $128.59.

Walmart Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $995.24 billion, a PE ratio of 43.66, a PEG ratio of 4.93 and a beta of 0.65. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $119.05 and a 200-day moving average price 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. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.26% and a return on equity of 21.31%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $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 expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Donna Morris sold 76,181 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.79, for a total value of $9,430,445.99. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 402,072 shares in the company, valued at approximately $49,772,492.88. This represents a 15.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 4,315,333 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $482,583,689.39. This represents a 0.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 210,441 shares of company stock worth $25,009,289. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Walmart during the second quarter valued at $26,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP purchased a new position in Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Company Profile

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.