Walmart’s (WMT) “Buy” Rating Reiterated at DA Davidson

DA Davidson reaffirmed their buy rating on shares of Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) in a report published on Thursday,Benzinga reports. DA Davidson currently has a $132.00 price target on the retailer’s stock.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on WMT. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $126.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $140.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday. Guggenheim set a $130.00 target price on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Tigress Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, August 31st. Finally, Truist Financial set a $114.00 target price on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $131.88.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT stock opened at $107.15 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $850.10 billion, a PE ratio of 38.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.09 and a beta of 0.59. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $110.24 and a 200-day simple moving average of $118.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. Walmart has a 52-week low of $98.88 and a 52-week high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The company’s revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.68 earnings per share. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Walmart will post 2.87 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total value of $5,335,345.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 201,672 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,246,145.20. This trade represents a 20.07% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,950 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.14, for a total value of $415,303.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 622,349 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,433,773.86. The trade was a 0.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 69,264 shares of company stock valued at $7,401,242 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walmart

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WMT. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its stake in Walmart by 11,189.0% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 755,604,916 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $85,579,813,000 after purchasing an additional 748,911,635 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the second quarter valued at about $7,455,131,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at about $6,458,529,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the second quarter worth about $2,905,655,000. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 188.1% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,199,907,000 after buying an additional 7,614,172 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: DA Davidson reaffirmed its “buy” rating and set a $132 price target, implying meaningful upside from recent levels. BTIG Research likewise maintained a “buy” rating with a $140 target. These endorsements suggest analysts view the recent selloff as an attractive entry point. Analyst rating reports
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is being highlighted as a potential defensive holding if persistent inflation causes the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates again. Its essential-goods exposure and dividend history could make the stock more attractive relative to economically sensitive companies. 3 Dividend Kings to Buy if the Fed Starts Raising Rates
• Positive Sentiment: New initiatives could strengthen Walmart’s convenience and omnichannel proposition. The retailer is expanding tap-to-pay support for Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, contactless cards and wearables, while adding Papa John’s to its restaurant-delivery partner network. Walmart Expands Tap to Pay
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s recent fashion and brand-marketing activity, including a New York Fashion Week event, may improve visibility but is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. Walmart New York Fashion Week event
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported September short-interest data shows zero shares and a zero-day days-to-cover ratio, but the figures appear incomplete or unreliable and provide no meaningful trading signal.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts caution that Walmart’s roughly 14% six-month decline does not eliminate concerns about its premium valuation, rising costs and weaker earnings estimates. Higher interest rates could also pressure consumers and test the stock’s technical support. Should You Buy Walmart Stock After a 14% Decline in Six Months?

Walmart Company Profile

Walmart Inc is a multinational retail and technology company that operates supercenters, discount stores, neighborhood markets, e-commerce platforms and membership warehouse clubs. Its merchandise includes groceries, apparel, electronics, home goods, health and beauty products, general merchandise and other consumer products.

Founded by Sam Walton in 1962 and incorporated in 1969, Walmart is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas. The company serves customers through operations in the United States and international markets, including Mexico, Canada, China, India and several countries in Central America and Africa.