Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Issues Q3 2027 Earnings Guidance

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) updated its third quarter 2027 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 0.620-0.640 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 0.680. The company issued revenue guidance of $183.1 billion-$184.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $188.2 billion. Walmart also updated its FY 2027 guidance to 2.800-2.870 EPS.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 price objective (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Freedom Capital raised Walmart from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. KeyCorp restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Tigress Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $155.00 price target (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Erste Group Bank cut Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.50.

Walmart Stock Down 0.8%

WMT opened at $114.30 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $909.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.31 and a beta of 0.61. Walmart has a one year low of $95.42 and a one year high of $135.15. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $114.03 and a 200-day moving average price of $121.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued 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. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.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 expect that Walmart will post 2.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total transaction of $2,303,320.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,174,579 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $495,230,306.77. This trade represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total transaction of $1,308,670.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 120,203 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. The trade was a 8.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 54,164 shares of company stock worth $6,389,402. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s long record of revenue beats and solid e-commerce momentum could support an earnings surprise. Analysts expect approximately $0.73 in adjusted EPS and nearly $185 billion in revenue, representing more than 5% year-over-year sales growth. Walmart Q2 Preview
• Positive Sentiment: Higher-margin businesses, particularly Walmart Connect advertising and e-commerce, are expected to help offset the cost of competitive pricing and delivery investments. DA Davidson also reiterated a Buy rating. Walmart Advertising Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Options traders are anticipating a sizable post-earnings move, making the results and management’s updated outlook more important than the headline quarterly figures. Expected Walmart Earnings Move
• Negative Sentiment: Investor caution reflects Walmart’s previously weaker-than-expected full-year outlook, moderating same-store sales momentum and thousands of price cuts intended to protect customer traffic. Slower sales growth could pressure margins if advertising and other higher-profit businesses do not compensate. Walmart Sales Growth Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation is another headwind: Walmart trades at roughly 40 times earnings, leaving limited room for disappointment. Analysts and market data have flagged downside risk if guidance remains cautious or the earnings report fails to exceed elevated expectations. Walmart Valuation Concern

Institutional Trading of Walmart

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Renaissance Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.9% in the fourth 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. Compass Capital Corp MA ADV increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Compass Capital Corp MA ADV now owns 21,322 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,375,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Investment Research Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Investment Research Partners LLC now owns 12,147 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,353,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Vivaldi Capital Management LP raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Vivaldi Capital Management LP now owns 23,491 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,617,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hoxton Planning & Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Hoxton Planning & Management LLC now owns 5,333 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $594,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.