Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Updates FY 2027 Earnings Guidance

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) updated its FY 2027 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 2.750-2.850 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 2.910. The company issued revenue guidance of $731.1 billion-$738.2 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $748.3 billion. Walmart also updated its Q2 2027 guidance to 0.720-0.740 EPS.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently weighed in on WMT. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 price target (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, May 7th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. DA Davidson set a $150.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Guggenheim lifted their price target on shares of Walmart from $120.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.71.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $120.27 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $958.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.20, a P/E/G ratio of 4.49 and a beta of 0.65. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $126.77 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $120.03. Walmart has a 12 month low of $93.43 and a 12 month high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.61 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Walmart will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.21, for a total transaction of $2,566,989.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,193,995 shares in the company, valued at $554,488,078.95. This trade represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,335 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.63, for a total value of $166,381.05. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 636,843 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $79,369,743.09. The trade was a 0.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders have sold 126,008 shares of company stock valued at $15,896,715. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart posted solid first-quarter results, with revenue of $177.8 billion and EPS of $0.66, while e-commerce sales rose 26% and advertising revenue jumped 37%, highlighting continued strength in digital and membership-driven businesses.
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts remained constructive after earnings: Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating and said Walmart is well positioned to gain share in a price-sensitive environment, while BTIG and BNP Paribas Exane also kept positive ratings despite modestly trimming price targets.
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart disclosed pre-arranged insider sales by CEO John Furner and EVP Christopher James Nicholas, but both transactions were made under 10b5-1 plans, which typically limits how much investors read into them.
• Neutral Sentiment: News reports also noted leadership changes, including the departure of Sam’s Club COO Tom Ward and U.S. stores EVP Cedric Clark, adding some uncertainty but not appearing to change the company’s near-term operating outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Shares weakened after Walmart issued second-quarter EPS guidance below consensus and reaffirmed full-year targets that also came in below Wall Street expectations, prompting concerns that margin pressure could continue.
• Negative Sentiment: Management said elevated fuel prices are pressuring both consumers and Walmart’s own costs, reinforcing worries that spending could soften and profitability could stay under pressure in the coming quarters.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Birchwood Financial Partners Inc. bought a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth about $50,000. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. bought a new stake in Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth about $52,000. Chapman Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Walmart in the 2nd quarter worth about $59,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth about $61,000. Finally, Ankerstar Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth about $64,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.