Walmart Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NASDAQ:WMT)

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) was the target of unusually large options trading on Monday. Stock traders acquired 142,172 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 35% compared to the typical volume of 105,142 call options.

Walmart Stock Up 3.0%

Shares of WMT traded up $3.44 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $117.97. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 49,168,572 shares, compared to its average volume of 24,609,627. The company’s 50 day moving average is $109.73 and its 200 day moving average is $103.81. The stock has a market cap of $940.24 billion, a PE ratio of 41.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.29 and a beta of 0.66. Walmart has a 12-month low of $79.81 and a 12-month high of $118.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.24.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.02. Walmart had a net margin of 3.26% and a return on equity of 21.31%. The company had revenue of $179.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $175.15 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.58 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Walmart will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.91, for a total value of $1,508,193.75. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 733,841 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $84,325,669.31. The trade was a 1.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.83, for a total value of $2,171,291.28. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 4,315,333 shares in the company, valued at approximately $482,583,689.39. The trade was a 0.45% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 125,628 shares of company stock worth $13,690,065 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in Walmart by 1.0% in the third quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 9,926 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,023,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Atlas Legacy Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Atlas Legacy Advisors LLC now owns 8,707 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $851,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the period. Meridian Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in Walmart by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. Meridian Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,804 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $470,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Hemington Wealth Management boosted its stake in Walmart by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 5,695 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $586,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Boomfish Wealth Group LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter. Boomfish Wealth Group LLC now owns 3,701 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $381,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WMT has been the subject of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $130.00 target price (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, December 19th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $135.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $123.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Thirty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $122.37.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart struck a prominent AI partnership with Google (Gemini/Universal Commerce Protocol) to make Walmart and Sam’s Club inventory shoppable via Google’s chatbot — a move that extends prior integrations with other AI platforms and increases Walmart’s reach into conversational commerce. Walmart and Google Turn AI Discovery Into Effortless Shopping Experiences
• Positive Sentiment: Recognition as a tech‑forward retailer and likely inclusion in the Nasdaq‑100 has lifted sentiment — index inclusion can trigger mechanical buying and broaden institutional/ETF ownership. Walmart Stock Nabs Record-High After Getting Nasdaq-100 Nod
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is scaling drone delivery rapidly (plans for many more locations this year), improving last‑mile economics and online convenience — a tangible operational catalyst for e‑commerce growth. Walmart Drone Delivery Service Surges
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy options activity — about 142,172 call contracts traded (≈35% above average) — suggests short‑term bullish positioning from traders expecting further upside or reaction to news. (Entry report)
• Positive Sentiment: Broker optimism: Bernstein recently raised its WMT price target on favorable 2026 consumer spending expectations, signaling analyst support for shares. Bernstein Raises Walmart (WMT) Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Core retail metrics remain constructive: Sam’s Club membership revenue and renewal trends are improving, supporting recurring revenue and margin resilience. Walmart’s Sam’s Membership Grows
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart‑backed fintech OnePay completed an employee share repurchase implying a higher valuation (~$4B), which is positive for the broader Walmart ecosystem but only indirectly affects WMT equity. Walmart’s OnePay Employee Share Repurchase
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of competitor PriceSmart’s momentum highlights retail strength in emerging markets but is not a direct driver for Walmart’s stock today. PriceSmart’s Base-Case Calls for $45 in Upside—Bull-Case Is Better

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.