Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Shares Down 1.4% – What’s Next?

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT)’s share price traded down 1.4% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $112.10 and last traded at $112.72. 22,192,382 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 17% from the average session volume of 19,040,119 shares. The stock had previously closed at $114.34.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s grocery business showed resilience in Q3 with low single?digit comp growth, fresh?led momentum and Rollbacks driving traffic and share gains — a near?term revenue and market?share positive for WMT. Walmart’s Grocery Stays Resilient
• Positive Sentiment: Several analyst writeups highlight Walmart as a growth and dividend compounder (Zacks/MarketBeat), supporting buyside interest and defensive demand in large?cap retail. Here’s Why Walmart Is a Strong Growth Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Technical analysts are bullish too — Elliott Wave analysis is pointing to a potential final leg toward the $120 area, which can attract momentum traders. Walmart stock eyes $120
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary includes Walmart among durable mega?caps to own for 2026 (dividend streak, scale), supporting longer?term investor allocations. Why These 3 Mega-Caps Could Still Surprise Investors in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Debates over relative value (e.g., Marks & Spencer comparison) are prompting some investors to scan cheaper global retail options rather than trade WMT directly — sector comparison, not immediate company news. MAKSY vs. WMT
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector peers (e.g., Albertsons, Kroger) and value?oriented retail stories are drawing attention; that comparative flow can mute WMT moves even as core fundamentals look stable. Albertsons Companies: A Deep-Value
• Negative Sentiment: Several pieces ask whether Walmart is fairly priced after multi?year gains — that valuation scrutiny can prompt profit?taking and cap gains selling, weighing on near?term price action. Is Walmart Fairly Priced After Strong Gains
• Negative Sentiment: As analysts re?frame Walmart’s growth drivers post?Q3, some investors are cautious about how fast new initiatives will scale — transitional uncertainty can cap upside until execution proves out. Why The Narrative Around Walmart Is Shifting

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently issued reports on WMT shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Walmart from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Walmart from $110.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 21st. KeyCorp reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $128.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $130.00 price objective (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Thirty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $121.55.

Walmart Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $898.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.41, a P/E/G ratio of 5.20 and a beta of 0.66. 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 fifty day simple moving average of $109.05 and a 200-day simple moving average of $103.48.

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

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 2,200 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.23, for a total transaction of $244,706.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 617,318 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $68,664,281.14. The trade was a 0.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.91, for a total value of $1,508,193.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 733,841 shares in the company, valued at $84,325,669.31. The trade was a 1.76% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 125,628 shares of company stock worth $13,690,065. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in shares of Walmart by 28.8% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 98,150 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,868,000 after buying an additional 21,939 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 5.8% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,849 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $800,000 after acquiring an additional 485 shares during the period. Peterson Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 3.5% in the first quarter. Peterson Wealth Management now owns 50,307 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,416,000 after acquiring an additional 1,715 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd raised its position in shares of Walmart by 120.9% during the first quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd now owns 9,276 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $814,000 after purchasing an additional 5,076 shares during the period. Finally, MBB Public Markets I LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the first quarter worth about $322,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.