Walmart Stock Rises 2.26% Despite Market Slump
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
0mins
Source: Fool
- Analyst Target Increases: Greg Melich from Evercore ISI raised Walmart's price target to $135, reflecting optimism about the company's future, particularly its robust 27% year-over-year growth in digital sales, showcasing Walmart's competitive edge in the retail sector.
- E-commerce Growth Potential: Karen Short from Barclays increased her target from $125 to $132, noting management's effective strategies in boosting market share and expressing optimism about sustained growth in e-commerce, indicating Walmart's future growth potential.
- Market Performance Comparison: Walmart's stock rose over 2% despite a broader market decline, contrasting sharply with the S&P 500's 1% drop, demonstrating strong investor confidence in Walmart's resilience.
- Financial Data Highlights: Despite management's cautious outlook on consumer spending, Walmart's market cap reached $980 billion with a gross margin of 25.40%, indicating the company's solid performance in the retail industry and its potential for future growth.
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Analyst Views on WMT
Wall Street analysts forecast WMT stock price to rise
26 Analyst Rating
25 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 122.990
Low
119.00
Averages
125.75
High
136.00
Current: 122.990
Low
119.00
Averages
125.75
High
136.00
About WMT
Walmart Inc. is a technology-powered omnichannel retailer. The Company is engaged in the operation of retail and wholesale stores and clubs, as well as eCommerce Websites and mobile applications, located throughout the United States (U.S.), Africa, Canada, Central America, Chile, China, India and Mexico. It operates in three reportable segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam's Club U.S. The Walmart U.S. segment includes the Company's mass merchandising concept in the U.S., as well as eCommerce, which includes omni-channel initiatives and certain other business offerings such as advertising services. The Walmart International segment consists of the Company's operations outside of the U.S. through its subsidiaries, as well as eCommerce and omni-channel initiatives. The Sam's Club U.S. segment includes the warehouse membership clubs in the U.S., as well as samsclub.com and omni-channel initiatives.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Tariff Background: The tariffs, imposed last year under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act on most U.S. trading partners, were confirmed as illegal by the Supreme Court, making FedEx's lawsuit a direct response to this ruling.
- Lawsuit Details: The 11-page complaint names U.S. Customs and Border Protection and its commissioner, Rodney Scott, as defendants, although it does not disclose the specific amount FedEx has paid in IEEPA tariffs since their imposition last year.
- Industry Impact: This lawsuit may set a legal precedent for other companies, particularly those like Costco that have already filed claims in the Court of International Trade, potentially accelerating refund requests for Trump-era tariffs and influencing compliance costs across the industry.
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Walmart Stock Rises 2.26% Despite Market Slump
- Analyst Target Increases: Greg Melich from Evercore ISI raised Walmart's price target to $135, reflecting optimism about the company's future, particularly its robust 27% year-over-year growth in digital sales, showcasing Walmart's competitive edge in the retail sector.
- E-commerce Growth Potential: Karen Short from Barclays increased her target from $125 to $132, noting management's effective strategies in boosting market share and expressing optimism about sustained growth in e-commerce, indicating Walmart's future growth potential.
- Market Performance Comparison: Walmart's stock rose over 2% despite a broader market decline, contrasting sharply with the S&P 500's 1% drop, demonstrating strong investor confidence in Walmart's resilience.
- Financial Data Highlights: Despite management's cautious outlook on consumer spending, Walmart's market cap reached $980 billion with a gross margin of 25.40%, indicating the company's solid performance in the retail industry and its potential for future growth.
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- High-Margin Business Growth: Walmart's membership service, Walmart+, and its advertising platform, Walmart Connect, are emerging as reliable income sources, with Walmart Connect achieving a remarkable 41% year-over-year growth in the last quarter, showcasing the company's successful pivot to higher-margin segments.
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- Tariff Background: The tariffs, imposed last year under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act on most U.S. trading partners, were confirmed as illegal by the Supreme Court, making FedEx's lawsuit a direct response to this ruling.
- Lawsuit Details: The 11-page complaint names U.S. Customs and Border Protection and its commissioner, Rodney Scott, as defendants, although it does not disclose the specific amount FedEx has paid in IEEPA tariffs since their imposition last year.
- Industry Impact: This lawsuit may set a legal precedent for other companies, particularly those like Costco that have already filed claims in the Court of International Trade, potentially accelerating refund requests for Trump-era tariffs and influencing compliance costs across the industry.
See More
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- Analyst Target Increases: Greg Melich from Evercore ISI raised Walmart's price target to $135, reflecting optimism about the company's future, particularly its robust 27% year-over-year growth in digital sales, showcasing Walmart's competitive edge in the retail sector.
- E-commerce Growth Potential: Karen Short from Barclays increased her target from $125 to $132, noting management's effective strategies in boosting market share and expressing optimism about sustained growth in e-commerce, indicating Walmart's future growth potential.
- Market Performance Comparison: Walmart's stock rose over 2% despite a broader market decline, contrasting sharply with the S&P 500's 1% drop, demonstrating strong investor confidence in Walmart's resilience.
- Financial Data Highlights: Despite management's cautious outlook on consumer spending, Walmart's market cap reached $980 billion with a gross margin of 25.40%, indicating the company's solid performance in the retail industry and its potential for future growth.
See More
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- Revenue Competition Shift: In fiscal year 2026, Walmart reported $713.2 billion in revenue, marking the first time it was surpassed by Amazon's $716.9 billion, with Walmart's 4.7% growth overshadowed by Amazon's 12.4%, indicating intensified competition in the retail sector.
- High-Margin Business Growth: Walmart's membership service, Walmart+, and its advertising platform, Walmart Connect, are emerging as reliable income sources, with Walmart Connect achieving a remarkable 41% year-over-year growth in the last quarter, showcasing the company's successful pivot to higher-margin segments.
- Same-Day Delivery Expansion: Leveraging its extensive store network, Walmart plans to expand same-day delivery services to 95% of the U.S., a strategy that not only enhances customer experience but also has the potential to attract Amazon customers, thereby strengthening its market competitiveness.
- Investment Valuation Assessment: With a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.3, Walmart is positioned as a high-growth stock, and while its long-term investment outlook remains positive, the high valuation could lead to increased short-term volatility, necessitating careful risk assessment by investors.
See More
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- Executive Sell-off: On February 19, 2026, Walmart CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company, which may raise market concerns regarding the company's future performance, as executive sell-offs are often perceived as negative signals about a company's outlook.
- Market Reaction: Such sell-off actions could lead to a decline in investor confidence in Walmart, potentially impacting its stock price performance, especially in the context of increasing competition in the retail sector, where market expectations for the company's performance may be affected.
- Strategic Consideration: While the sell-off may be interpreted as a cautious stance on the company's future, it could also reflect personal financial planning, indicating a strategic adjustment in the executive's personal asset allocation.
- Transparency Issues: The executive's stock trading behavior has raised concerns about the company's transparency, prompting investors to demand more disclosure to ensure that management decisions align with shareholder interests.
See More
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- Market Reaction Anticipation: Such executive stock sales are often interpreted by the market as a sign of unease regarding the company's prospects, which could lead to short-term stock price volatility, prompting investors to closely monitor subsequent market developments.
- Shareholding Change Analysis: The substantial number of shares sold may affect the overall shareholding structure of WaPREMIUM, especially in the context of frequent executive trading, which could raise questions about corporate governance.
- Investor Confidence Challenge: The executive's stock sale could lead to a decline in investor confidence in WaPREMIUM, particularly as the company has yet to release its latest financial report, which may cause market concerns regarding its future performance.
See More
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- Shareholder Dilution: The company has repeatedly turned to equity markets for capital, increasing its share count from approximately 566 million to 1.39 billion over the past five years, significantly diluting existing shareholders and underscoring its urgent funding needs.
- Cost-Cutting Initiative: Plug Power launched Project Quantum Leap, which aims to simplify operations and focus on higher-value markets, projecting annual cost savings of $150 million to $200 million, although the effectiveness of this initiative remains to be seen.
- Market Opportunities: Despite the slow growth of the hydrogen market, Plug Power's agreement with Carlton Power for a 55 MW equipment supply across three green hydrogen projects indicates potential in the sector, with regulatory changes possibly enhancing market prospects.
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