Ahead of Walmart Earnings, Here's What Barchart Data Says Comes Next for WMT Stock
Walmart (WMT) is set to report Q2 earnings on Aug. 20, with a consensus EPS estimate of $0.73, up 7.35% YoY. Options data suggests a bearish outlook, with a put-to-call ratio of 1.56x and a potential 4.28% drop. Bernstein recommends buying the pullback, citing strong fundamentals and a $142 price target. The stock is up less than 2% in 2026, trading at 40x forward earnings.
How this was made
The 30-second read
Why it matters
The article’s actionable element is the pre-earnings positioning: bearish options skew suggests traders expect a meaningful post-earnings decline, while Bernstein frames a potential buying opportunity on any selloff tied to a temporary comp slowdown.
Market read
Traders get a near-term risk map into the earnings open using options-implied downside and a countervailing Street view.
What to watch
The piece cites valuation (near 40x forward earnings) and a comp slowdown, but provides no new guidance details, so realized volatility may diverge from options-implied levels.
Background
Walmart is scheduled to report fiscal Q2 earnings before the market opens on Aug. 20, with consensus EPS of $0.73.
Ticker impact
Ahead of Aug. 20 premarket earnings, options show a bearish skew with put-to-call 1.56 and a $110.54 lower strike implying a post-earnings drop.
Expect elevated downside tail risk immediately after earnings, with potential mean-reversion if results mitigate the comp slowdown narrative.
The article provides specific options positioning (put-to-call, lower strike) and a cited Bernstein $142 target contingent on a pullback, but it does not include any new earnings guidance or results.
Market effects
Could influence retail sentiment around consumer discretionary comps and tariff-lap effects, but the article is single-name focused.
Primarily US equity sentiment into the earnings print; limited spillover implied.
Minimal direct global impact beyond broad retail risk appetite.
Counterpoint
If earnings confirm stabilization after the tariff-driven comp lap, the options-implied move could be overstated and WMT could rebound quickly.
Key entities
- companyWalmart
Subject of the article, with pre-earnings options positioning and analyst commentary ahead of Aug. 20 results.
- analyst_firmBernstein
Cited as recommending buying a pullback, with a $142 price target and a comp slowdown explanation.
