Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Shares Up 1.4% – Time to Buy?

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT)’s stock price was up 1.4% on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $114.79 and last traded at $114.34. Approximately 19,829,294 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 11% from the average daily volume of 17,885,850 shares. The stock had previously closed at $112.71.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on WMT shares. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on shares of Walmart from $110.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $129.00 target price (up from $122.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $123.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $123.00 price target (up previously from $111.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, November 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $130.00 price objective (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, December 19th. Thirty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walmart has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $121.28.

Walmart Stock Up 1.4%

The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $911.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.21 and a beta of 0.66. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $108.82 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $103.35.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $179.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $175.15 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.26% and a return on equity of 21.31%. The company’s revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.58 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, SVP David Chojnowski sold 7,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.65, for a total transaction of $746,550.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 136,289 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,535,221.85. The trade was a 4.89% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.57, for a total transaction of $2,127,411.12. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 4,334,747 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $474,958,228.79. This trade represents a 0.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 125,628 shares of company stock worth $13,690,065. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WMT. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 9,926 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,023,000 after buying an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Atlas Legacy Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.1% in the second quarter. Atlas Legacy Advisors LLC now owns 8,707 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $851,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Meridian Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 2.1% during the second quarter. Meridian Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,804 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $470,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the period. Hemington Wealth Management raised its holdings in Walmart by 1.8% during the third quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 5,695 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $586,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Boomfish Wealth Group LLC lifted its position in Walmart by 2.7% in the third quarter. Boomfish Wealth Group LLC now owns 3,701 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $381,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.