Key Points
- John Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart on Jan. 15 at an average price of $119.99 for about $1.57M, trimming his stake 1.77% to 727,155 shares (≈$87.25M).
- Multiple senior executives have disclosed share sales (totaling millions), which could pressure sentiment short-term, even as leadership succession is clarified with Furner set to become CEO next month and David Guggina promoted to lead Walmart U.S.
- Walmart recently beat quarterly estimates (EPS $0.62 vs. $0.60; revenue $179.5B), issued FY2026 guidance of 2.580–2.630 EPS, and maintains largely positive analyst coverage with an average target near $123.
Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 1,388 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total transaction of $166,560.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 645,642 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $77,477,040. This trade represents a 0.21% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.
Walmart Stock Up 0.4%
Shares of WMT stock opened at $119.70 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $79.81 and a 52-week high of $121.24. The stock has a market cap of $954.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.85, a PEG ratio of 5.08 and a beta of 0.66. The firm's 50-day moving average is $111.49 and its 200-day moving average is $104.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.80.
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $179.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $175.15 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.31% and a net margin of 3.26%.Walmart's quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.58 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen raised Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th. BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $125.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday. Guggenheim restated a "buy" rating and set a $120.00 target price (up previously from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $119.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Thirty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $123.03.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Walmart
Key Stories Impacting 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.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart
Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.9% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 435,652,710 shares of the retailer's stock worth $44,898,368,000 after purchasing an additional 3,835,200 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its position in Walmart by 1.2% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer's stock worth $19,046,104,000 after buying an additional 2,242,364 shares in the last quarter. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC increased its stake in Walmart by 397,264.9% during the 2nd quarter. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC now owns 104,514,912 shares of the retailer's stock worth $10,496,702,000 after acquiring an additional 104,488,610 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Walmart by 0.3% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 94,557,532 shares of the retailer's stock worth $9,199,712,000 after acquiring an additional 263,718 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at $5,367,770,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Walmart Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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.
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