Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Trading Down 1.6% Following Insider Selling

Shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) traded down 1.6% on Thursday following insider selling activity. The company traded as low as $102.27 and last traded at $102.63. 29,321,384 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 14% from the average session volume of 25,725,025 shares. The stock had previously closed at $104.34.

Specifically, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total transaction of $5,335,345.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 201,672 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,246,145.20. This trade represents a 20.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total transaction of $308,386.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 569,153 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $60,523,730.02. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on WMT shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded Walmart to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. BTIG Research decreased their price objective on Walmart from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 21st. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $125.00 target price (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Oppenheimer restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $131.88.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart reported fiscal Q2 revenue of approximately $187.9 billion, while global e-commerce grew 23% and advertising revenue surged 38%. The results reinforce the company’s growth in digital retail and higher-margin businesses. Walmart Q2 2027 Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts maintain a consensus price target of $138.50, implying confidence that Walmart’s long-term growth strategy and earnings outlook can support a higher valuation. Separately, traders purchased a large volume of call options, signaling bullish speculative interest. Walmart Consensus Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart and Sam’s Club raised more than $39 million for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals. The campaign supports the company’s community reputation but is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings or the stock. Walmart and Sam’s Club Children’s Miracle Network Support
• Negative Sentiment: The recent selloff reflects concerns that Walmart may be fully priced after a roughly 127% five-year advance. Commentary points to slowing store-sales growth and limited valuation support, with the shares trading below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages. Walmart Stock Looks Fully Priced
• Negative Sentiment: Executive Vice President Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares worth about $5.3 million. The transaction reduced his holdings by roughly 20%, although it occurred under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan to cover tax withholding on vested equity awards, making it a weaker bearish signal than discretionary insider selling. Walmart SEC Insider Transaction Filing

Walmart Trading Down 1.6%

The company has a 50-day moving average price of $112.47 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $120.78. The stock has a market cap of $816.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.05, a P/E/G ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The company had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.68 earnings per share. Walmart’s quarterly revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Walmart

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Formuepleje A S purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,689,000. SHEPHERD WEALTH MANAGEMENT Ltd LIABILITY Co purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the second quarter worth approximately $406,000. Amundi lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 44.4% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 20,796,957 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,355,463,000 after acquiring an additional 6,393,326 shares during the last quarter. Schulz Wealth LTD. bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $477,000. Finally, Wellington Grp LLC boosted its holdings in Walmart by 5.8% during the 2nd quarter. Wellington Grp LLC now owns 12,487 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,414,000 after acquiring an additional 686 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Company Profile

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.