Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Stock Price Up 1.6% on Analyst Upgrade

11 Feb 2026, 22:10 by Tristan Rich · The Markets Daily

Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) shares were up 1.6% during trading on Wednesday after BTIG Research raised their price target on the stock from $125.00 to $140.00. BTIG Research currently has a buy rating on the stock. Walmart traded as high as $129.74 and last traded at $128.77. Approximately 19,165,619 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 52% from the average daily volume of 40,284,879 shares. The stock had previously closed at $126.70.

WMT has been the topic of a number of other reports. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $132.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $135.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Wall Street Zen lowered Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, January 18th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $135.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Thirty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $127.19.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Walmart

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 26th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $482,583,689.39. This trade represents a 0.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.27, for a total value of $2,445,400.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 506,764 shares in the company, valued at approximately $61,962,034.28. This trade represents a 3.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 229,196 shares of company stock worth $26,957,858 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade and higher target: BTIG raised its price target to $140 and kept a “buy” rating, supporting upside expectations for WMT shares. BTIG price target raise
Positive Sentiment: Optimistic analyst outlooks: Mizuho and other brokers issued bullish commentary and forecasts, and an analyst upgrade helped push WMT to a new 52‑week high, lending momentum to the rally. Mizuho Forecast
Positive Sentiment: Institutional buying: Fisher Asset Management added ~328,229 shares, signaling confidence from a large active manager which can boost market sentiment. Fisher stake increase
Positive Sentiment: Strategic growth story: Coverage highlighting steady sales growth, market‑share gains, expansion of higher‑margin businesses and pilot “next‑gen” Supercenter formats reinforces a long‑term growth narrative. Zacks valuation/growth take
Neutral Sentiment: Sector retail data mixed: December retail sales were flat, creating a mixed near‑term consumer backdrop — Zacks and other outlets note WMT may still benefit as shoppers trade down to value. Retail sales stall
Neutral Sentiment: Competitive dynamics: Kroger’s new CEO and a renewed competitor focus could intensify grocery competition over time; this is a factor to monitor but not an immediate WMT catalyst. Kroger leadership change
Negative Sentiment: Legal/reputational risk: Estée Lauder filed suit alleging counterfeit beauty products were sold on Walmart’s marketplace — a potentially costly legal and reputational issue if liability or stricter marketplace controls follow. Estée Lauder lawsuit

Institutional Trading of Walmart

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in Walmart in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

The business’s 50-day moving average is $117.07 and its 200-day moving average is $107.67. The company has a market capitalization of $1.03 trillion, a PE ratio of 45.02, a PEG ratio of 4.93 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.80.

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

About Walmart

(Get Free Report)

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.