Walmart Options Trading: A Deep Dive into Market Sentiment

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on Walmart WMT.

And retail traders should know.

We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.

Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with WMT, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.

So how do we know what these investors just did?

Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 10 uncommon options trades for Walmart.

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 30% bullish and 70%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 2 are puts, for a total amount of $56,250, and 8 are calls, for a total amount of $932,800.

Expected Price Movements

Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $55.0 to $86.67 for Walmart during the past quarter.

Insights into Volume & Open Interest

Examining the volume and open interest provides crucial insights into stock research. This information is key in gauging liquidity and interest levels for Walmart's options at certain strike prices. Below, we present a snapshot of the trends in volume and open interest for calls and puts across Walmart's significant trades, within a strike price range of $55.0 to $86.67, over the past month.

Walmart Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days

Significant Options Trades Detected:

About Walmart

Walmart serves as the preeminent retailer in the United States, with its strategy predicated on superior operating efficiency and offering the lowest priced goods to consumers to drive robust store traffic and product turnover. Walmart augmented its low-price business strategy by offering a convenient one-stop shopping destination with the opening of its first supercenter in 1988.Today, Walmart operates over 4,600 stores in the United States (5,200 including Sam's Club) and over 10,000 stores globally. Walmart generated over $440 billion in domestic namesake sales in fiscal 2024, with Sam's Club contributing another $86 billion to the company's top line. Internationally, Walmart generated $115 billion in sales. The retailer serves around 240 million customers globally each week.

Following our analysis of the options activities associated with Walmart, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.

Current Position of Walmart

• With a trading volume of 9,487,545, the price of WMT is up by 1.14%, reaching $78.93.
• Current RSI values indicate that the stock is may be approaching overbought.
• Next earnings report is scheduled for 60 days from now.

What Analysts Are Saying About Walmart

A total of 2 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $85.0.

Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move

Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. Click here for access. * Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Evercore ISI Group continues to hold a Outperform rating for Walmart, targeting a price of $80. * An analyst from Jefferies has decided to maintain their Buy rating on Walmart, which currently sits at a price target of $90.

Options trading presents higher risks and potential rewards. Astute traders manage these risks by continually educating themselves, adapting their strategies, monitoring multiple indicators, and keeping a close eye on market movements. Stay informed about the latest Walmart options trades with real-time alerts from Benzinga Pro.