Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Shares Down 1.4% – Time to Sell?

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) shares traded down 1.4% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $117.92 and last traded at $118.57. 28,644,533 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 9% from the average session volume of 26,275,297 shares. The stock had previously closed at $120.27.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target on Walmart to $150 from $145 and kept a Buy rating, citing continued strength in grocery traffic and resilient demand. TD Cowen Boosts Target on Walmart (WMT) Amid Strong Grocery Traffic
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s Sam’s Club business said its Member’s Mark community has grown to more than 150,000 participants, reinforcing customer engagement and supporting private-label product development. Sam’s Club’s Member’s Mark™ Community Surges to Over 150000 Participants
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary from Jim Cramer and other bullish coverage continues to frame Walmart as a defensive winner, with investors seeing the recent weakness as a potential buying opportunity. Jim Cramer Reveals Why He’d Buy Walmart (WMT)
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage comparing Walmart with Target and other retailers highlighted Walmart’s 26% global e-commerce growth and improving higher-margin businesses, but it was more of an industry comparison than a direct catalyst. Target vs. Walmart: Which Retail Stock Is the Better Buy After Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports that Walmart may be preparing for price increases and navigating tariff-related inflation pressures point to ongoing margin management, but the impact is uncertain. Walmart signals potential price increases as food producers focus on margins (WMT)
• Negative Sentiment: Several pieces focused on slower consumer spending, delayed discretionary purchases, and Walmart’s stock trading well below recent highs, which may be weighing on sentiment despite the company’s defensive profile. Amazon and Walmart Turn to Platform Economics as Consumer Spending Slows
• Negative Sentiment: Short-interest-related reporting and “in the red zone” commentary suggest some traders remain cautious on Walmart in the near term, even though the short-interest data itself appears inconsistent. Walmart tries cost-cutting supply chain model as stock stays in red zone

Analyst Ratings Changes

WMT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 target price (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $147.00 target price (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Mizuho increased their target price 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. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. 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 company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.71.

Walmart Stock Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average price is $126.24 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $120.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The stock has a market cap of $947.75 billion, a PE ratio of 41.72, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.65.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The firm had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.61 EPS. 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 research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total transaction of $2,555,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at approximately $62,203,571.56. This trade represents a 3.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.77, for a total transaction of $167,212.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 635,593 shares in the company, valued at approximately $85,023,275.61. This trade represents a 0.20% decrease in their position. 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 90 days, insiders have sold 106,592 shares of company stock worth $13,436,513. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Walmart

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. MFA Wealth Services grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. MFA Wealth Services now owns 10,909 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,356,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Realta Investment Advisors grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Realta Investment Advisors now owns 4,089 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $508,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Compton Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 4.1% during the 1st quarter. Compton Financial Group LLC now owns 2,081 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $259,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Renaissance Group LLC now owns 9,636 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,074,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Calton & Associates Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. now owns 27,220 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,033,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

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.