Westwind Capital decreased its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) by 9.0% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 109,677 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 10,819 shares during the period. Walmart comprises approximately 2.7% of Westwind Capital’s portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Westwind Capital’s holdings in Walmart were worth $11,398,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of WMT. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at $7,455,131,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in Walmart during the second quarter worth about $2,905,655,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new position in Walmart during the second quarter valued at about $796,677,000. Deutsche Bank AG increased its stake in Walmart by 54.0% during the second quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 18,607,297 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,107,462,000 after acquiring an additional 6,525,224 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi raised its holdings in Walmart by 44.4% in the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 20,796,957 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,355,463,000 after acquiring an additional 6,393,326 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of analysts have commented on WMT shares. Freedom Capital upgraded Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Tigress Financial restated a “buy” rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, August 31st. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Guggenheim set a $130.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $140.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Three research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $131.74.
Key Headlines Impacting Walmart
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: New California fulfillment hub: Walmart is opening a California facility expected to create approximately 1,000 jobs. The investment could improve regional distribution capacity and support faster delivery, although the direct financial impact was not disclosed. Walmart Stock Gains as New California Hub Creates 1,000 Jobs
- Positive Sentiment: Faster pickup and improved in-store technology: Walmart’s new Express Pickup service promises eligible Walmart+ orders in as little as one hour, while “Shop to Light” helps customers locate products. The features could increase Walmart+ engagement, improve convenience during the holiday season and strengthen competition with Amazon and other e-commerce retailers. Walmart’s One-Hour Express Pickup Push
- Positive Sentiment: Retail-media expansion: Walmart Connect is extending its shopper-data advertising platform across connected TV, streaming audio and other third-party channels through partnerships with Warner Bros. Discovery, Spotify and Yahoo. Broader advertising reach and measurable commerce data could help Walmart grow higher-margin revenue beyond its stores. Walmart’s Shopper Data and Advertising Business
- Neutral Sentiment: AI-agent partnership: Walmart is participating in a proposed protocol from Meta and Sierra that would allow consumers’ AI agents to interact with businesses. The initiative could eventually streamline shopping and customer service, but its commercial benefits and timing remain uncertain. Meta and Sierra Launch AI-Agent Protocol
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation risk: Walmart trades at roughly 39 times earnings, well above the broader S&P 500 multiple, despite latest-quarter revenue growth of 5.9%. Investors may require stronger profit growth from advertising, e-commerce, memberships and other higher-margin businesses to justify the premium. Where Could Walmart’s Next Growth Come From?
Walmart Price Performance
Shares of Walmart stock traded up $2.40 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $110.56. 23,620,297 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 25,258,205. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The firm has a market cap of $877.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.91, a PEG ratio of 4.09 and a beta of 0.58. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $98.88 and a 52 week high of $135.15. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $108.42 and a 200-day simple moving average of $116.49.
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The business had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.68 EPS. 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. Research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other news, EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,990 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.41, for a total value of $416,595.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 618,359 shares in the company, valued at approximately $64,562,863.19. The trade was a 0.64% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total transaction of $5,335,345.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 201,672 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,246,145.20. The trade was a 20.07% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 81,219 shares of company stock valued at $8,604,429 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.
About Walmart
Walmart Inc (NASDAQ: WMT) is a multinational retailer that operates supercenters, discount stores, neighborhood markets, warehouse clubs and e-commerce platforms. Its merchandise includes groceries, apparel, electronics, home goods, health and wellness products, household essentials and general merchandise. Walmart also provides services such as grocery pickup and delivery, pharmacy services, financial products and digital advertising.
The company serves customers through its Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam’s Club segments.
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