UBS Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Stock

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) had its price objective raised by research analysts at UBS Group from $130.00 to $149.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the retailer’s stock. UBS Group‘s price target points to a potential upside of 18.50% from the company’s current price.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently commented on the company. TD Cowen initiated coverage on Walmart in a research report on Friday, October 30th. They issued a “strong-buy” rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 21st. Tigress Financial reissued a “buy” rating and set a $155.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, August 31st. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $120.00 price objective (down from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $125.00 price objective (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, October 20th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $130.62.

Walmart Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of WMT stock traded up $0.22 during trading on Monday, hitting $125.74. 15,258,008 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 24,885,352. The firm has a market capitalization of $997.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.53 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $112.48 and its 200-day moving average price is $118.59. Walmart has a 52-week low of $98.88 and a 52-week high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $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. As a group, research analysts forecast that Walmart will post 2.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, CTO Suresh Kumar sold 166,342 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.21, for a total transaction of $20,494,997.82. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 1,632,223 shares in the company, valued at $201,106,195.83. This trade represents a 9.25% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Christopher Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.60, for a total value of $349,740.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 563,353 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $67,940,371.80. This represents a 0.51% 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. In the last three months, insiders have sold 268,222 shares of company stock worth $31,604,051. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Strait & Sound Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Walmart by 0.3% in the first quarter. Strait & Sound Wealth Management LLC now owns 25,443 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,162,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Kassira Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Walmart by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Kassira Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,538 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,199,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Bernicke Wealth Management Ltd. increased its position in shares of Walmart by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Bernicke Wealth Management Ltd. now owns 12,548 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,421,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. MBE Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Walmart by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. MBE Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,306 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $967,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BCM Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. BCM Advisors LLC now owns 2,956 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $385,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target on Walmart to $145 from $125 and maintained an “overweight” rating. The new target implies about 15.4% upside from the cited share price, reinforcing a bullish view. JPMorgan analyst recommendations
• Positive Sentiment: UBS argues Walmart’s earnings growth potential extends beyond headline sales, suggesting there may be additional drivers of profit growth for investors to consider. Walmart earnings growth potential extends beyond headline sales
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding into home energy and healthcare through new partnerships. The moves could broaden its services and create growth opportunities beyond its core retail business. Walmart expands into home energy and healthcare
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlights Walmart’s price advantage over Kroger and Albertsons, which could help the retailer attract shoppers seeking lower prices. Walmart’s price gap with Kroger and Albertsons
• Neutral Sentiment: A comparison with Target notes that tariff refunds boosted both retailers’ latest results, making it a potential caveat when assessing underlying performance. Target’s traffic improved, though some merchandise categories remained weak. Target’s valuation compared with Walmart’s
• Negative Sentiment: One valuation-focused analysis says Walmart’s 171% five-year share-price gain has raised expectations for earnings to justify the stock’s valuation, leaving less room for disappointment. Walmart stock valuation after a five-year run

About Walmart

Walmart is a multinational retailer that operates discount stores, supercenters, neighborhood markets, and membership warehouse clubs. Its business includes Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam’s Club.

The company sells groceries and a broad range of general merchandise, including apparel, electronics, household goods, and health and wellness products. Walmart also serves customers through e-commerce, with services such as order pickup and delivery.

Founded by Sam Walton in 1962, Walmart is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas.