Stokes Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) by 108.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 36,203 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 18,820 shares during the period. Stokes Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $3,762,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Capital Advisors Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 4.1% during the 3rd quarter. Capital Advisors Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,806 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,019,000 after acquiring an additional 390 shares during the period. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its stake in Walmart by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 22,151 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,449,000 after acquiring an additional 880 shares during the period. GK Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at $75,000. Balefire LLC raised its stake in Walmart by 5.5% in the 3rd quarter. Balefire LLC now owns 15,739 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,636,000 after acquiring an additional 826 shares during the period. Finally, Decker Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 13.8% during the 3rd quarter. Decker Wealth Management LLC now owns 71,180 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,397,000 after purchasing an additional 8,643 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of equities analysts have commented on WMT shares. Freedom Broker raised shares of Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Oppenheimer reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. KeyCorp reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Guggenheim set a $130.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Truist Financial set a $114.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Three equities 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. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $131.74.
Walmart Stock Up 0.7%
WMT stock opened at $111.35 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $98.88 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $883.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.20, a PEG ratio of 4.22 and a beta of 0.58. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $108.42 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $116.46.
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $186.64 billion. During the same quarter 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 anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.
Key Walmart News
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding its Express Pickup service, offering Walmart+ members eligible curbside orders in as little as one hour ahead of the holiday shopping season. The initiative could increase customer engagement, strengthen Walmart’s omnichannel position and support sales growth. Walmart’s One-Hour Express Pickup Push Could Be a Game Changer
- Positive Sentiment: A new California fulfillment and distribution hub is expected to create about 1,000 jobs, expanding Walmart’s logistics capacity and potentially improving delivery efficiency. Walmart Stock Gains as New California Hub Creates 1,000 Jobs
- Neutral Sentiment: Walmart reversed a six-bin height limit for in-store online-order carts. The change may improve fulfillment flexibility, although the earlier restriction was introduced to address employee and customer safety concerns. Walmart Reverses Order-Cart Limit
- Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s market capitalization is close to overtaking a major U.S. bank, making relative market value a short-term trading focus. Investors are awaiting a Tuesday catalyst that could influence the ranking. America’s Biggest Retailer Is About to Pass America’s Biggest Bank
- Negative Sentiment: Walmart’s multibillion-dollar warehouse-automation program is encountering difficulties handling items such as dog food, cardboard boxes and turkeys. Spending is expected to peak this year and next, while delays could postpone labor savings and pressure near-term capital returns. Walmart’s Automation Push Hits Snags
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a concern: Walmart trades near 39–40 times earnings versus roughly 21.5 times for the S&P 500. With recent revenue growth of 5.9%, the premium price leaves limited room for execution missteps or slower profit growth. Where Could Walmart’s Next Growth Come From?
Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart
In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total value of $5,335,345.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 201,672 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,246,145.20. The trade was a 20.07% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 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. Also, EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,990 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.41, for a total transaction of $416,595.90. Following the transaction, 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 81,219 shares of company stock worth $8,604,429 over the last quarter. Company 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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