Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) EVP John Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total value of $2,555,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 486,764 shares of the company's stock, valued at $62,203,571.56. The trade was a 3.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.
Walmart Trading Down 0.1%
Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $127.81 on Thursday. The business's 50-day moving average is $121.39 and its 200 day moving average is $110.68. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $79.81 and a 1 year high of $134.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.02 trillion, a P/E ratio of 46.65, a P/E/G ratio of 4.76 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24.
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The business had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.66 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Walmart Announces Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued a $0.2475 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Walmart's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 34.31%.
Key Walmart News
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Underlying business momentum and e‑commerce strength support valuations — analysts and comparison pieces highlight Walmart’s strong omnichannel execution and continued e‑commerce growth, reinforcing the case that WMT’s core retail operations remain healthy. Walmart vs. Target: Which Stock Is a Better Buy?
- Positive Sentiment: PhonePe IPO could be a material monetization path — reports say PhonePe (Walmart‑backed) is targeting up to a $10.5B valuation in an India IPO, which could lift investor expectations for future value from Walmart’s stake and international fintech exposure. Exclusive: Walmart-backed PhonePe targets up to $10.5 billion valuation in India IPO, sources say
- Positive Sentiment: Bullish investor write‑ups reiterate long‑term case — recent bullish summaries highlight WMT’s scale, tight operations and brand strength, supporting buy‑and‑hold sentiment among value and income investors. Is Walmart Inc. (WMT) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
- Positive Sentiment: Store expansion and new format rollout continue — Walmart opened a “next‑generation” Supercenter in Florida, an example of ongoing investment in store experience that supports omnichannel reach. Walmart Opens Next Generation Supercenter in The Villages, Highlights Florida‑Grown Products
- Neutral Sentiment: Investor presentation/transcript released — Walmart presented at the Morgan Stanley TMT conference; transcripts provide detail but contain no single market‑moving surprise in headlines. Investors may parse the remarks for tech/AI and supply‑chain commentary. Walmart Inc. (WMT) Presents at Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference 2026 Transcript
- Negative Sentiment: Tariff and import exposure remains a tangible risk — analysis highlights that tariffs and rising trade frictions could raise costs for Walmart given its heavy import/manufacturing footprint, pressuring margins if costs can’t be passed to consumers. Walmart: Navigating A Bumpy Tariff Environment
- Negative Sentiment: Competing retail upside (Target) could divert investor dollars — renewed bullishness around Target’s turnaround may draw discretionary retail allocations away from Walmart and pressure relative performance. Target’s 2026 Turnaround: Analysts Bullish as Growth Returns
- Negative Sentiment: Insider sale disclosed — EVP John Rainey sold ~20,000 shares (disclosed), a modest reduction in insider holdings that some investors view as a near‑term negative signal despite its small size relative to total holdings. SEC Form 4 disclosure — John D. Rainey sale
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several research firms recently issued reports on WMT. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 target price on Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Barclays reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $125.00 price objective (up from $108.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $130.00 target price (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $140.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $134.42.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on WMT
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart
Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $6,458,529,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Walmart by 9,648.7% during the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 11,486,374 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,123,138,000 after purchasing an additional 11,368,549 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Walmart by 188.1% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,199,907,000 after purchasing an additional 7,614,172 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Walmart by 6.8% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $11,426,753,000 after purchasing an additional 6,517,394 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Walmart by 1.4% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 431,817,510 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $42,223,116,000 after buying an additional 5,856,468 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
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.
Further Reading
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