The shares of Walmart (NYSE:WMT) are up 5.5% to trade at $106.14 this morning, after the world's largest retailer reported better-than-expected third-quarter earnings of $0.62 per share, compared to Zacks Consensus expectations of $0.61 per share. Revenue climbed 5.8% year-over-year to $179.5 billion, topping estimates of $177.4 billion. The company also hiked its 2026 outlook.
WMT is heading for its best single-session gain since April 9. The shares are now 18.3% higher in 2025, with support in place at their 126-day moving average.
Though calls are still outweighing puts on an absolute basis, puts have been picked up at a faster-than-usual pace in the last two weeks. WMT's 10-day put/call volume ratio of 0.85 at the at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) ranks higher than 85% of readings from the past year.
Amid a post-earnings volatility crush, options are affordable. WMT's Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 31% which stands higher than just 7% of all other readings from the past year, implying that near-term option traders are pricing in relatively low volatility expectations.
