Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Shares Down 2.7% on Analyst Downgrade

Shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) traded down 2.7% during mid-day trading on Wednesday after Mizuho lowered their price target on the stock from $130.00 to $125.00. Mizuho currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Walmart traded as low as $103.92 and last traded at $103.92. Approximately 27,630,247 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 9% from the average session volume of 25,384,301 shares. The stock had previously closed at $106.80.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on WMT. Freedom Broker upgraded Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Truist Financial set a $114.00 price objective on Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on Walmart from $137.00 to $131.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $131.74.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walmart news, CEO John Furner sold 13,125 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.66, for a total value of $1,399,912.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 647,912 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $69,106,293.92. This trade represents a 1.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,950 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.14, for a total value of $415,303.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 622,349 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $65,433,773.86. This trade represents a 0.63% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 77,229 shares of company stock valued at $8,187,833 over the last 90 days. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AI and e-commerce expansion: Walmart’s Flipkart business is participating in Google’s pilot allowing Indian shoppers to discover and purchase products directly through Gemini and Google AI Mode. The initiative could increase Flipkart traffic and sales ahead of India’s festive shopping season. Walmart Tests AI Shopping in India Through Flipkart
• Positive Sentiment: Broader digital reach: Walmart is among the retailers partnering with Meta’s Muse AI shopping agent, potentially creating another customer-acquisition and transaction channel. Its store-fulfilled delivery business also grew approximately 40% year over year, highlighting continued demand for convenience. Meta’s Muse Takes Aim at E-Commerce Walmart Delivers Forgotten Groceries Fast
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Mizuho maintained an “outperform” rating while lowering its price target from $130 to $125, still implying meaningful upside. Comparisons with Dollar General also point to Walmart’s digital growth and improving execution as competitive strengths. Mizuho Walmart Price Target Walmart vs. Dollar General
• Neutral Sentiment: Pricing transparency: Walmart said its digital shelf labels do not use personal data to set individualized prices. The clarification may reduce privacy concerns as electronic labels replace paper tags, although the technology’s long-term effect on operating costs remains to be seen. Walmart Digital Shelf Labels
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and competition: Target’s aggressive holiday price cuts could pressure Walmart’s market share or margins, while Target’s lower valuation makes Walmart appear expensive. Investors are also questioning whether small delivery orders generate enough profit to cover picking and transportation costs. Walmart Stock Data Walmart CEO on Personalized Prices

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth $7,455,131,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in Walmart during the second quarter valued at about $2,905,655,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new stake in Walmart during the second quarter valued at about $796,677,000. Deutsche Bank AG lifted its stake in Walmart by 54.0% during the second quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 18,607,297 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,107,462,000 after purchasing an additional 6,525,224 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 44.4% in the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 20,796,957 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,355,463,000 after purchasing an additional 6,393,326 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Price Performance

The business has a fifty day moving average price of $109.10 and a 200-day moving average price of $117.35. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $824.47 billion, a PE ratio of 37.52, a PEG ratio of 4.15 and a beta of 0.59.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.Walmart’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.68 EPS. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. Research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Company Profile

Walmart Inc (NASDAQ: WMT) is a multinational retailer that operates supercenters, discount stores, neighborhood markets, warehouse clubs and e-commerce platforms. Its merchandise includes groceries, apparel, electronics, home goods, health and wellness products, household essentials and general merchandise. Walmart also provides services such as grocery pickup and delivery, pharmacy services, financial products and digital advertising.

The company serves customers through its Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam’s Club segments.