Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Argus

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) was upgraded by analysts at Argus to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Tigress Financial raised their price objective on Walmart from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Walmart from $110.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 target price (up previously from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $128.59.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $126.62 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $119.05 and its 200-day moving average price is $108.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.01 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.27, a PEG ratio of 4.93 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart has a one year low of $79.81 and a one year high of $134.69.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a net margin of 3.26% and a return on equity of 21.31%. The company had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Walmart will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Donna Morris sold 76,181 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.79, for a total transaction of $9,430,445.99. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 402,072 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $49,772,492.88. This represents a 15.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.27, for a total value of $2,445,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 506,764 shares in the company, valued at approximately $61,962,034.28. This represents a 3.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 210,441 shares of company stock worth $25,009,289 over the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walmart

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WMT. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in Walmart by 28.8% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 98,150 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,868,000 after acquiring an additional 21,939 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 5.8% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,849 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $800,000 after purchasing an additional 485 shares in the last quarter. Peterson Wealth Management grew its position in shares of Walmart by 3.5% in the 1st quarter. Peterson Wealth Management now owns 50,307 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,416,000 after buying an additional 1,715 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 13,008 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,272,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Walmart by 4.2% in the second quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 755,828 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $73,905,000 after purchasing an additional 30,320 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results: Walmart reported $0.74 EPS (beat by $0.01) and revenue of $190.66B (above consensus). The quarter showed margin improvement and operating income gains, supporting the business-quality narrative. WSJ: Walmart Reports Strong Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend hike: Board approved a 5% raise to an annual $0.99/share (53rd consecutive increase) — supports income investors and signals confidence in cash flow. BusinessWire: Dividend Increase
• Positive Sentiment: Top-line drivers: Global revenue +5.6% (4.9% cc), global e‑commerce +24%, and Walmart Connect advertising grew strongly — these secular growth engines (online fulfillment, marketplace, ads) underpin longer-term upside. BusinessWire: Revenue Growth & Segment Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional buying/analyst support: Several funds boosted WMT stakes, and DA Davidson reiterated a Buy with a $135 target — incremental demand and analyst backing can limit downside. TipRanks: Institutional Stake Increases StreetInsider: DA Davidson Reiterates Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: New CEO transition: This is John Furner’s first earnings cycle as CEO — investors are watching execution but the change is framed as “steady management,” so near-term impact is unclear. CNBC: Earnings Preview / New CEO
• Negative Sentiment: FY 2027 guidance below consensus: Walmart set FY2027 EPS at $2.75–2.85 versus a ~2.94 consensus — that shortfall is the main catalyst pressuring the stock (investors repricing near-term earnings).
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 guidance limited: Q1 EPS guided to $0.610 (flat range) — conservative near‑term outlook increases sensitivity to macro/consumer weakness.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and “priced-in” expectations: Shares have rallied (~year-to-date strength, $1T market cap), so some analysts warn the rally may be priced for perfection — guidance miss + rich multiple amplify downside risk. Seeking Alpha: Earnings Expectations / Valuation

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.