Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Stock Price Down 1.4% Following Insider Selling

Shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) dropped 1.4% during trading on Thursday following insider selling activity. The company traded as low as $124.40 and last traded at $124.87. Approximately 42,883,800 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 9% from the average daily volume of 39,479,777 shares. The stock had previously closed at $126.62.

Specifically, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,255 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.21, for a total value of $167,178.55. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 586,329 shares in the company, valued at approximately $78,104,886.09. The trade was a 0.21% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on WMT. Roth Mkm restated a “buy” rating and issued a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. Wall Street Zen lowered Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, January 18th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $145.00 price objective (up previously from $136.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $147.00 price objective (up previously from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and set a $140.00 target price (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $132.53.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management highlights AI/automation and faster e?commerce growth, which should support margin and productivity improvements over time. The future of retail is AI
• Positive Sentiment: Several brokers raised price targets or reaffirmed buy/outperform calls (Telsey, BTIG, Truist), which provides near?term support and buyer interest. Telsey raises target
• Positive Sentiment: Board boosted shareholder returns — annual dividend raised to $0.99 and the company has been authorizing buybacks, which underpins cash?return support. Dividend increase press release
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional activity shows accumulation in recent quarters and some technical analysts view the current pullback as a buying opportunity around $120–$110. That can stabilize downside but may not trigger an immediate rally. MarketBeat buy thesis
• Neutral Sentiment: An EVP sold a small block (1,255 shares) disclosed on a Form 4 — immaterial relative to his total holdings and likely routine liquidity. SEC filing
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance disappointed — FY?2027 EPS and Q1 guidance came in below consensus and management used cautious language; this guidance miss is the primary driver of today’s selloff. Q4 press release / slides
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns and bearish commentary argue that expected operating?income gains don’t fully justify high multiples, prompting some investors to trim positions. Seeking Alpha valuation critique
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive narrative: Amazon now surpasses Walmart in annual revenue — symbolic but it focuses investor attention on competitive pressure and growth strategy execution. Amazon surpasses Walmart
• Negative Sentiment: Limited analyst downgrades (HSBC cut to Hold) add to selling pressure from cautious funds. WMT Downgrade video

Walmart Price Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average price is $119.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $109.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The company has a market capitalization of $980.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.07 and a beta of 0.65.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. Walmart’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.66 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be given a dividend of $0.2475 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.87%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WMT. CWM LLC raised its stake in Walmart by 24.2% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,175,703 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $121,168,000 after buying an additional 229,220 shares during the period. Neuberger Berman Group LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 0.8% during the second quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 5,091,126 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $497,771,000 after purchasing an additional 42,645 shares during the period. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 16.6% in the 3rd quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 63,782 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $6,567,000 after purchasing an additional 9,061 shares in the last quarter. Aviva PLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 16.4% in the 2nd quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 3,833,720 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $374,861,000 after purchasing an additional 539,504 shares in the last quarter. Finally, World Investment Advisors grew its position in Walmart by 5.2% in the 3rd quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 293,866 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $30,286,000 after purchasing an additional 14,487 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

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.