Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Trading Down 1.5% on Insider Selling

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) shares fell 1.5% during trading on Friday following insider selling activity. The company traded as low as $121.05 and last traded at $122.99. 34,911,676 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 11% from the average session volume of 39,349,488 shares. The stock had previously closed at $124.87.

Specifically, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,255 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.21, for a total value of $167,178.55. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 586,329 shares in the company, valued at approximately $78,104,886.09. This trade represents a 0.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently commented on WMT shares. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $125.00 target price (up from $108.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. HSBC lowered Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $122.00 to $131.00 in a report on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $138.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walmart presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $132.53.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and operational momentum — Walmart topped revenue and EPS estimates (Q4 revenue ~$190.7B, EPS $0.74) with strong e‑commerce (+24%) and advertising growth, and management highlighted automation benefits. This underpins longer‑term margin improvement. Q4 press release / slides
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — Several firms raised price targets or reiterated buy/outperform (Telsey, BTIG, Truist increases), which can create near‑term buying demand and reduce downside. Telsey raises target
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns boosted — Walmart raised its annual dividend to $0.99 and has material buyback capacity (board actions noted), supporting floor value for the stock. Dividend increase press release
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider activity — An EVP sold 1,255 shares (Form 4 disclosure); size is small relative to holdings and likely routine diversification rather than a material negative signal. SEC filing
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional flows & technicals — Data show institutional accumulation and analysts flag a technical pullback toward $120–$110 as a buying opportunity; this can stabilize downside but not immediately reverse sentiment. MarketBeat buy thesis
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance disappointment — Management set FY‑2027 EPS of $2.75–$2.85 and Q1 EPS ~ $0.61, below consensus, and used cautious language on the call; that guidance miss is the main reason the stock is under pressure today. Q4 press release / slides
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and bearish commentary — Critics argue operating‑income gains don’t justify near‑term multiples, prompting selling from valuation‑sensitive investors. Seeking Alpha valuation critique
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive/market narrative — Amazon overtook Walmart on annual revenue (symbolic), and at least one sell/neutral voice (HSBC downgrade) cited growth concerns — these narratives amplify caution among some investors. Amazon surpasses Walmart HSBC downgrade note

Walmart Stock Performance

The company’s 50 day moving average price is $119.24 and its 200-day moving average price is $109.09. The stock has a market cap of $980.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.99 and a beta of 0.65. 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 (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.26% and a return on equity of 21.31%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.66 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be given a dividend of $0.2475 per share. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio is currently 32.87%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Renaissance Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Renaissance Group LLC now owns 9,636 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,074,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. grew its holdings in Walmart by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. now owns 27,220 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,033,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Advocacy Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Walmart by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Advocacy Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,392 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $378,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Walmart by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,561 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $285,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the period. Finally, Capstone Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,955 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $552,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.