Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Cut to “Hold” at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft

Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm currently has $119.00 target price on the retailer’s stock.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, September 18th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $129.00 price target for the company. Tigress Financial lifted their price objective on Walmart from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. DA Davidson set a $130.00 target price on Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Mizuho set a $125.00 price target on Walmart and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $125.00 price target (up previously from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Thirty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $122.37.

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $114.53 on Thursday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $109.73 and its 200 day moving average is $103.77. The firm has a market cap of $912.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.05, a PEG ratio of 5.29 and a beta of 0.66. 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 has a 52-week low of $79.81 and a 52-week high of $117.45.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in Walmart by 1.0% in the third quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 9,926 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,023,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Atlas Legacy Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.1% during the second quarter. Atlas Legacy Advisors LLC now owns 8,707 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $851,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. Meridian Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 2.1% during the second quarter. Meridian Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,804 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $470,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Hemington Wealth Management raised its position in shares of Walmart by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 5,695 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $586,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Boomfish Wealth Group LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 2.7% in the 3rd quarter. Boomfish Wealth Group LLC now owns 3,701 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $381,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays reiterated its Buy rating on WMT, reinforcing institutional confidence in Walmart’s outlook and supporting demand for the stock. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho raised its price target to $125 (from $115) and kept an Outperform/Overweight view, signaling upward analyst momentum that can boost buying interest. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo also lifted its target to $130 and remains constructive on Walmart, adding to the analyst support narrative behind the rally. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart launched “Better Care Services,” a digital healthcare platform and lowered prices on some health items — a strategic push that could expand margins and services revenue over time. Analysts are re-assessing valuation with this new health push in mind. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart added Shishir Mehrotra (ex-Grammarly/Superhuman) to its board — a governance move emphasizing AI and e‑commerce expertise that investors view as strengthening Walmart’s tech roadmap. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart launched a celebrity fashion line (Millie Bobby Brown) aimed at teens and young women — a branding/merchandising boost but likely modest near-term financial impact. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market coverage notes (Zacks, Kalkine, AmericanBankingNews) show elevated investor attention and a consensus “moderate buy,” which keeps the stock in focus but doesn’t single-handedly move fundamentals. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Amazon received approval to build a 225,000 sq ft Walmart-style supercenter near Chicago that would blend in-store shopping with fulfillment — a clear competitive threat to Walmart’s grocery and omnichannel footprint in key markets. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Deutsche Bank downgraded Walmart from Buy to Hold with a $119 target, signaling some analyst caution (limits upside relative to recent price moves) and adding selling pressure for more risk‑sensitive investors. Read More.

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.