Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Trading Up 2% – What’s Next?

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) shares rose 2% on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $120.51 and last traded at $120.36. Approximately 31,001,757 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 22% from the average daily volume of 25,427,973 shares. The stock had previously closed at $117.97.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Nasdaq‑100 inclusion and mechanical index buying: Investors are pricing in passive‑fund flows and greater tech‑index visibility as Walmart prepares to join the Nasdaq‑100, a move that helped push the stock to record highs. Walmart Stock Gaining Steam Ahead of Debut on Nasdaq-100
• Positive Sentiment: Google / Alphabet AI partnership: Walmart and Sam’s Club inventory will be integrated into Google’s Gemini/Universal Commerce Protocol (agent‑led commerce), boosting e‑commerce reach and signaling Walmart’s shift toward tech‑enabled retail. This deal is a major catalyst cited across outlets. Walmart Stock Jumps on Google AI Partnership
• Positive Sentiment: Drone delivery expansion: Walmart is scaling drone deliveries to many more locations this year, which improves last‑mile capability and supports margin and service competitiveness vs. peers. Walmart partners with Alphabet unit, expands drone deliveries
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call‑option activity and record‑high trading: Elevated call buying and above‑average volume point to bullish positioning from traders and institutions ahead of index changes and partnership news.
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart being viewed as more of a tech/omnichannel company: Coverage noting Walmart’s transformation (including Investopedia and others) changes investor framing from pure retail to a tech‑enabled consumer staple; that can attract different buyers but also raises growth expectations. Is Walmart a Tech Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Sam’s Club membership strength: Membership income trends are constructive for recurring revenue, but analysts will watch renewal rates and margin mix for sustainability. Walmart’s Sam’s Membership Grows
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation/rotation and rate sensitivity risk: Market commentary warns that a rotation away from tech or any reversal in rate expectations could remove the multiple expansion that helped WMT; being added to Nasdaq‑100 improves demand but also raises exposure to tech‑style multiple volatility. Tech Wreck or Valuation Reset?
• Negative Sentiment: Company‑specific downside scenarios highlighted: A recent Forbes piece outlines operational and macro risks that could pressure WMT shares if e‑commerce growth stalls, margins compress, or competitive/exec transitions (e.g., leadership changes) create execution gaps. What Can Send Walmart Stock Price Down?

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Truist Financial set a $127.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $123.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. CICC Research assumed coverage on Walmart in a research note on Friday, December 26th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $125.00 price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Walmart from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Finally, Bank of America boosted their target price on Walmart from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. 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, Walmart currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $122.37.

Walmart Trading Up 2.0%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.80. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $110.06 and a 200 day simple moving average of $103.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $959.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.29 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $179.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $175.15 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.58 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other Walmart news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.57, for a total transaction of $2,127,411.12. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 4,334,747 shares in the company, valued at $474,958,228.79. This trade represents a 0.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP David Chojnowski sold 7,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.65, for a total value of $746,550.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 136,289 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,535,221.85. This represents a 4.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 125,628 shares of company stock worth $13,690,065. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Collier Financial bought a new position in Walmart in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Access Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Walmart during the second quarter worth $26,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. 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.