New York, Feb 10, 2026, 11:05 (EST) — Regular session
- Walmart shares slipped roughly 1% in late morning trading, easing off after last week’s surge.
- Wells Fargo and Oppenheimer have each put a $140 price target on the stock, with investors waiting for results due Feb. 19.
- Guidance risk is back in focus for traders, with new U.S. consumer data hinting at weaker momentum.
Walmart Inc slipped nearly 1% Tuesday, off $1.28 at $127.75 by late morning, after kicking off the session at $128.94. Shares bounced between $127.54 and $129.29.
This drop comes after a fast rally that vaulted Walmart over the $1 trillion mark in market value just last week. Now, investors are zeroed in on whether the company’s upcoming outlook will satisfy the heightened expectations.
This setup matters now. Investors eye the retailer as a consumer pulse check and, sometimes, a defensive play when growth stocks falter. Quarterly results are coming next week—any shift in talk about demand or costs could jolt the shares.
Wells Fargo’s Edward Kelly bumped his price target on Tuesday to $140 from $130, sticking with his Overweight call. He cited a “solid Q4” and U.S. same-store sales growth north of 4.5%. Still, the note flagged 2026 guidance as a tough one, warning investors are bracing for an initial outlook that falls short of Wall Street’s consensus. TipRanks
Oppenheimer’s Rupesh Parikh bumped his price target up to $140 from $125 just a day ago, sticking with an Outperform call before the earnings report. Parikh also nudged his Q4 EPS estimate toward the upper end of what management laid out, citing strong holiday demand and “modest weather benefits.” Still, he flagged the possibility that the company might hew to its baseline growth “algorithm,” which lags behind the consensus. TipRanks
Walmart plans to report fiscal 2026 fourth-quarter results on Feb. 19. The company says it will post earnings materials around 6 a.m. Central, followed by a conference call at 7 a.m.
Eyes will be on U.S. comparable sales—those stores open a year or more—to see if Walmart continues to take share in groceries and general merchandise as value-seeking shoppers come back. Analysts will be combing through guidance for operating income as well as any details on online growth and advertising.
U.S. stocks turned in a mixed performance Tuesday, with investors absorbing retail sales numbers that came in flat for December—catching some by surprise—and eyeing upcoming economic reports later in the week. “It’s really the retail sales data … that’s driving some of the weakness,” said Charlie Ripley, vice president of portfolio management at Allianz Investment Management. Reuters
The risk here is simple enough—the rally raised expectations. If guidance turns cautious, retailers ramp up promotions, or there’s any sign of shoppers shifting down-market quicker than anticipated, that could trigger more profit-taking. This holds even if the current quarter checks out.
Feb. 19 is up next—Walmart reports earnings and refreshes its guidance then. That’s when investors get their shot to judge if this latest reset in expectations goes far enough.
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