Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Receives “Hold” Rating from Erste Group Bank

Erste Group Bank reaffirmed their hold rating on shares of Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning, Marketbeat reports.

WMT has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $140.00 price objective (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Raymond James Financial restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $140.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $145.00 price objective (up from $128.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, HSBC cut shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $122.00 to $131.00 in a report on Friday, February 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $134.42.

Walmart Trading Down 3.5%

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $123.31 on Thursday. Walmart has a 1 year low of $79.81 and a 1 year high of $134.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $121.63 and a 200 day moving average of $110.77. The stock has a market cap of $982.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.76 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.66 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Walmart will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued 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 (DPR) is presently 36.13%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total transaction of $4,158,004.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 533,466 shares in the company, valued at $65,082,852. This represents a 6.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, 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 transaction of $2,445,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 506,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $61,962,034.28. This trade represents a 3.80% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 279,703 shares of company stock valued at $34,140,843 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Collier Financial bought a new stake in Walmart during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company fundamentals: Walmart’s recent quarter showed solid top‑line momentum and continued e‑commerce strength, supporting the long‑term retail story and giving investors reason to buy on weakness. Walmart vs. Target: Which Stock Is a Better Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: Potential upside from PhonePe: Reports that PhonePe (Walmart‑backed) is targeting a $9–10.5B IPO valuation could boost perceived value of Walmart’s international/fintech exposure. Exclusive: Walmart-backed PhonePe targets up to $10.5 billion valuation in India IPO, sources say
• Positive Sentiment: Store investment & partner recognition: Walmart opened a next‑generation Supercenter and suppliers (e.g., Scosche) are being recognized for strong partnership — signals that in‑store and supplier execution continue. Walmart Opens Next Generation Supercenter in The Villages, Highlights Florida‑Grown Products
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Multiple firms maintain buy/overweight ratings and elevated price targets (median targets above current levels), giving a cushion for longer‑term holders. Tickerreport: Analyst updates
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor briefing material: Walmart’s Morgan Stanley TMT presentation transcript is out — useful for parsing tech/AI and fulfillment plans but contains no single market‑moving surprise. Walmart Inc. (WMT) Presents at Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference 2026 Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Cautious guidance & regulatory settlement: Market reaction appears driven by a conservative forward outlook and renewed attention on a roughly $100M settlement tied to the Spark Driver delivery program — raises concerns about compliance costs and friction in the e‑commerce/delivery narrative. Walmart slides as cautious outlook and regulatory settlement weigh on sentiment
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling disclosed: EVP John Rainey sold 20,000 shares (SEC filing), a modest signal that some insiders are trimming, which can amplify near‑term weakness even if economically immaterial. SEC Form 4 disclosure — John D. Rainey sale
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/trade risk: Analysis flags tariff and import exposure as a tangible margin risk given Walmart’s import footprint — a policy shock could hit costs and weigh on margins. Walmart: Navigating A Bumpy Tariff Environment
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive flow: Renewed enthusiasm for Target’s turnaround could pull discretionary retail allocations away from Walmart, pressuring relative performance. Target’s 2026 Turnaround: Analysts Bullish as Growth Returns

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.