Walmart’s 1.5B Trade Volume Ranks 45th as Institutions and Analysts Back 21.45 ROE Growth

On September 2, 2025, Walmart (WMT) rose 0.90% with a trading volume of $1.5 billion, ranking 45th in market activity. Institutional investors, including Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC, increased holdings by 28.2% in Q1, while other firms like Whelan Financial and Scott & Selber also raised stakes by 2.3% to 3.7%. Despite insider sales by executives such as EVP Kathryn Mclay and John Rainey, reducing ownership by 0.38% and 0.35% respectively, institutional ownership remains at 26.76% of the stock.

Analysts maintain a positive outlook, with 31 firms assigning a "Buy" rating and an average price target of $110.59. Recent upgrades from Evercore ISI, Bernstein, and RBC highlight confidence in Walmart’s long-term growth, despite Q2 earnings missing EPS estimates by $0.06. The company reported $169.34 billion in revenue, a 4.8% year-over-year increase, and raised its 2026 guidance to 0.58-0.60 EPS. Analysts project 2.52-2.62 EPS for FY 2026, with a 21.45% return on equity and a 3.08% net margin.

Walmart’s strategic focus on e-commerce, AI-driven customer experience, and membership programs like Walmart+ underscores its resilience. The retailer’s market cap of $773.85 billion and a P/E ratio of 36.45 reflect its position as a key player in the consumer staples sector. While short-term challenges like tariff pressures and inventory management persist, the stock’s 52-week range of $75.67-$105.30 and a 0.65 beta indicate moderate volatility. Analysts emphasize its scale, digital transformation, and margin expansion as long-term catalysts.

Backtest results show that a $1,000 investment in WMT on January 1, 2020, would have grown to $1,255 by August 31, 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 4.7%. The stock outperformed the S&P 500 during this period, driven by consistent dividend growth and strategic operational shifts. Despite a recent 0.90% gain, the stock remains below its 52-week high of $105.30, with a 14.34% upside potential based on analyst price targets.