Expressive Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 6,323 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $716,000.
A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart in the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 57.4% in the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the period. Sankala Group LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several research firms have issued reports on WMT. Gordon Haskett downgraded shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to an “accumulate” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 price target (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Walmart from $147.00 to $132.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 21st. BNP Paribas Exane reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $137.00 price objective (down from $146.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Freedom Broker upgraded Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Walmart presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $131.88.
Walmart Price Performance
Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $105.38 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $112.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of $120.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $838.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.05 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $95.42 and a 52 week high of $135.15.
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The firm had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.68 earnings per share. Walmart’s quarterly revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total transaction of $308,386.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 569,153 shares in the company, valued at $60,523,730.02. The trade was a 0.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,985,527.94. This trade represents a 8.74% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders sold 57,064 shares of company stock worth $6,697,788. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Key Stories Impacting Walmart
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s Sparky AI shopping assistant reportedly generates 40% higher customer spending among users, while the company is also integrating AI into advertising and exploring technology partnerships with OpenAI and ChatGPT. These efforts could lift conversion, basket sizes and future digital-advertising revenue. Walmart Sparky AI article
- Positive Sentiment: The launch of Scenario, a women’s fashion brand with most products priced below $25, is designed to attract younger, trend-conscious shoppers and strengthen Walmart’s position in apparel. Its value pricing may help the retailer compete more directly with Amazon. Walmart Scenario fashion brand article
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts’ consensus price target of approximately $128 remains well above recent trading levels, suggesting some Wall Street analysts view the selloff as excessive. Walmart also exceeded quarterly EPS and revenue expectations and raised its full-year sales-growth outlook to 4%-5%.
- Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is rolling out NFC tap-to-pay across U.S. stores and clubs, improving checkout convenience and aligning with broader mobile-wallet adoption. The change may support engagement but is unlikely to materially alter near-term earnings. Walmart NFC rollout article
- Negative Sentiment: U.S. comparable sales increased only 2.6%, below the 3.8% consensus estimate and representing Walmart’s slowest comparable-sales growth in six years. Higher gasoline prices and broader economic pressure may be making consumers more cautious, despite the earnings beat. Walmart comparable-sales miss article
- Negative Sentiment: Amazon’s share of U.S. clothing spending doubled to 17% in 2025 from 8.5% in 2019, while Walmart’s share edged lower. The widening gap raises concerns about Walmart’s ability to gain share in an important retail category. Amazon and Walmart clothing-share article
- Negative Sentiment: Commentators argue WMT still trades at a premium valuation—roughly 36 times forward earnings—despite decelerating growth and cautious consumer trends. That leaves less room for disappointment and has amplified the post-earnings decline.
Walmart Company Profile
Walmart is a multinational retail corporation that operates a broad portfolio of store formats and digital services. Its core business includes large-format supercenters, discount department stores, neighborhood grocery stores and a membership warehouse chain, Sam’s Club. The company’s merchandising mix covers groceries, household goods, apparel, electronics and pharmacy services, supplemented by private-label products and category-specific offerings. Walmart pairs its physical store network with online platforms and mobile applications to provide omnichannel shopping, fulfillment and delivery options for consumers and businesses.
The company was founded by Sam Walton, who opened the first store in Rogers, Arkansas in 1962; it is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas.
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