Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund purchased 871,352 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $98,689,000.
Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bell & Brown Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the 2nd quarter worth $6,451,000. Advisortrust Partners LLC lifted its stake in Walmart by 20.2% in the first quarter. Advisortrust Partners LLC now owns 67,142 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,344,000 after buying an additional 11,283 shares during the period. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA lifted its stake in Walmart by 253.3% in the first quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 384,034 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $47,728,000 after buying an additional 275,337 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its holdings in Walmart by 2.9% during the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 2,416,580 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $300,333,000 after buying an additional 68,632 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vise Technologies Inc. grew its position in shares of Walmart by 42.1% during the 4th quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 275,341 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $30,676,000 after buying an additional 81,635 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of brokerages recently weighed in on WMT. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Walmart from $137.00 to $125.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 21st. Evercore set a $125.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Truist Financial set a $114.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $131.88.
Insider Activity at Walmart
In other Walmart news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total value of $1,435,203.96. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,985,527.94. This trade represents a 8.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total value of $308,386.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 569,153 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $60,523,730.02. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 26,648 shares of company stock valued at $3,085,798. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Trending Headlines about Walmart
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to project upside for WMT, with reports citing consensus price targets of $138.50 and $128.43—well above recent trading levels. Large call-option purchases also suggest some traders are positioning for a rebound. Walmart consensus price target Walmart call options activity
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s digital sales, automation and AI initiatives remain key parts of the growth story. Its Sparky shopping assistant has reportedly produced customer baskets about 40% larger than those of customers shopping without the tool, while Walmart is also exploring advertising and technology opportunities with OpenAI and ChatGPT. Walmart Sparky AI assistant
- Positive Sentiment: The new Scenario women’s fashion brand, with most items priced below $25, could help Walmart attract younger shoppers and expand its apparel business. The company is also increasing rapid-delivery capabilities through Flipkart in India. Walmart launches Scenario fashion brand
- Neutral Sentiment: Investors are comparing Walmart’s digital and business-mix expansion with MercadoLibre’s broader ecosystem growth, highlighting Walmart’s improving online opportunity but also the high expectations embedded in its valuation. Walmart versus MercadoLibre growth comparison
- Negative Sentiment: Walmart’s U.S. comparable sales rose 2.6%, below the 3.8% analyst estimate and representing the company’s slowest comparable-sales growth in roughly six years. Higher gasoline prices and broader economic pressure may be making consumers more cautious. Walmart comparable-sales miss
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a concern after Walmart’s substantial five-year gain. Analysts note that the stock trades at a premium relative to peers despite slower store-sales momentum, while Amazon continues to take share of U.S. clothing spending from Walmart. Walmart valuation concerns Amazon clothing share versus Walmart
Walmart Price Performance
NASDAQ WMT opened at $104.34 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The stock has a market cap of $830.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.67, a PEG ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.61. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $112.47 and a 200 day simple moving average of $120.78. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $95.60 and a 52-week high of $135.15.
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The company had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $186.64 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.68 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
About Walmart
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.
Featured Articles
- Five stocks we like better than Walmart
- Williams-Sonoma’s Quarter Gave Bulls More Than Just a Beat-and-Raise
- Alcoa’s Gallium Project Opens a New Door Beyond Aluminum
- Oura’s $16 Billion IPO Could Put a New Price on Wearable Tech
- Can Tesla’s Flying Roadster Distract From Its Real Risks?
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WMT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for Walmart Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Walmart and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
