Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) EVP John Furner Sells 13,125 Shares

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) EVP John Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.99, for a total value of $1,574,868.75. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 727,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $87,251,328.45. This represents a 1.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Walmart Trading Up 0.4%

WMT stock traded up $0.50 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $119.70. 410,231,342 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 61,927,707. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $79.81 and a 52-week high of $121.24. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $111.15 and its 200-day moving average is $104.34. The company has a market cap of $954.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.85, a P/E/G ratio of 5.12 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.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Collier Financial bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Access Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new stake in Walmart during the third quarter valued at about $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Executive succession clarified: John Furner will become CEO next month and promoted longtime insider David Guggina to CEO of Walmart U.S., a move investors interpret as continuity-focused and supportive for execution on omnichannel and AI strategies. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: AI/digital momentum: Coverage highlights Walmart’s AI initiatives and partnerships (Google/Alphabet, OpenAI/ChatGPT) as starting to produce sales/efficiency upside — a strategic story driving valuation premium and analyst optimism. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Fintech and ancillary growth: Walmart?backed OnePay reached a $4B valuation milestone, signaling potential non?retail upside from financial-services partnerships. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Multiple firms recently reiterated/raised Buy/Outperform views and targets, reinforcing short?term institutional demand. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive positioning: Analysts note Walmart is narrowing Amazon’s online lead — a positive strategic trend but one that still leaves intense competition and execution requirements. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Several senior execs disclosed share sales (combined millions), which can be interpreted as routine diversification but may pressure sentiment short term. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: International leadership turnover: Walmart International CEO Kathryn McLay will depart (staying through transition), raising near?term succession and execution questions for overseas growth. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/tax uncertainty: India’s top court is set to rule on tax treatment of the 2018 Flipkart stake sale (Tiger Global ? Walmart), a potential precedent with financial or reputational implications. Read More.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on WMT. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $125.00 target price (up previously from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, January 8th. DA Davidson set a $130.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. UBS Group set a $130.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. KeyCorp reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $128.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $119.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Thirty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $123.03.

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.