Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Stock Jumps 1.5% – Time to Buy?

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) shares were up 1.5% on Thursday. The stock traded as high as $121.38 and last traded at $117.87. Approximately 31,927,326 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 27% from the average daily volume of 25,132,641 shares. The stock had previously closed at $116.16.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank’s upgrade and higher price target provided the strongest stock-specific catalyst, signaling increased confidence in Walmart’s 2027 earnings potential. Deutsche upgrades Walmart to Buy on favorable 2027 setup
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are rotating from technology stocks into defensive consumer-staples companies as higher inflation increases the appeal of retailers selling everyday necessities. This broader sector move is helping Walmart and other major retailers. These Consumer Stocks Are Getting a Lift as Investors Rotate Out of Tech
• Positive Sentiment: Faster pickup, flexible delivery, digital tools and Walmart+ engagement could help the company capture holiday e-commerce demand and support sales growth. Can Walmart’s Faster Shopping Options Boost Holiday Sales Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s expanded employee healthcare benefits, including no-cost prescriptions and paid NICU leave, may improve retention and reinforce its value-focused brand, although the direct financial effect is uncertain. Walmart Expands Employee Healthcare Benefits With Free Prescriptions And Paid NICU Leave
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is expanding private-label fashion and automated fulfillment capacity, including a new large California facility. These initiatives could broaden sales and improve efficiency, but require investment and execution. Walmart hits the runway in new private-label fashion push
• Negative Sentiment: Potential risks include an FDA warning involving Walmart’s marketplace compliance, extensive recent insider selling and valuation concerns after the stock’s advance. These issues could limit upside if growth or margins disappoint. FDA Warning Letter Puts Walmart Marketplace Compliance Under Investor Scrutiny

Analyst Ratings Changes

WMT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of Walmart from $137.00 to $131.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $113.00 to $136.00 in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald raised Walmart to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-three have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $132.41.

Walmart Trading Up 1.5%

The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $108.56 and its 200 day moving average price is $116.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $935.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.55, a PEG ratio of 4.28 and a beta of 0.58.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 quarter last year, the business posted $0.68 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other news, EVP Christopher Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.65, for a total transaction of $309,285.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 566,253 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $60,390,882.45. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,990 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.41, for a total transaction of $416,595.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 618,359 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $64,562,863.19. This represents a 0.64% 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. In the last three months, insiders sold 81,219 shares of company stock valued at $8,604,429. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 22.0% during the third quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 140,542 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $14,605,000 after buying an additional 25,366 shares in the last quarter. Perpetual Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 2.3% in the third quarter. Perpetual Ltd now owns 25,262 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,625,000 after buying an additional 563 shares in the last quarter. Vertrix Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Walmart by 6.0% during the third quarter. Vertrix Wealth Management LLC now owns 56,381 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $5,859,000 after acquiring an additional 3,197 shares during the last quarter. JGP Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Walmart by 2.7% during the third quarter. JGP Wealth Management LLC now owns 135,219 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $14,052,000 after acquiring an additional 3,562 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Roan Capital Partners boosted its position in Walmart by 6.8% during the third quarter. Roan Capital Partners now owns 5,237 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $544,000 after acquiring an additional 334 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Walmart Company Profile

Walmart Inc (NASDAQ: WMT) is a multinational retailer that operates supercenters, discount stores, neighborhood markets, warehouse clubs and e-commerce platforms. Its merchandise includes groceries, apparel, electronics, home goods, health and wellness products, household essentials and general merchandise. Walmart also provides services such as grocery pickup and delivery, pharmacy services, financial products and digital advertising.

The company serves customers through its Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam’s Club segments.