25,366 Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Acquired by First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.

Key Points

• First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. increased its Walmart stake by 22% in the third quarter, acquiring 25,366 shares and bringing its total holdings to 140,542 shares valued at approximately $14.6 million.
• Walmart reported quarterly EPS of $0.81, beating estimates of $0.74, while revenue rose 5.9% year over year to $187.94 billion. Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $131.74.
• Valuation remains a concern: Walmart trades at roughly 40 times trailing earnings, with analysts citing margin pressure and rising costs despite growth opportunities in e-commerce, advertising and memberships.

First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. boosted its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 22.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 140,542 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 25,366 shares during the quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $14,605,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Walmart in the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. Montgomery Financial Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the second quarter worth $32,000. Sankala Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Copos Capital S.a r.l. purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $112.28 on Wednesday. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $108.49 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $116.29. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $98.88 and a twelve month high of $135.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $890.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.96, a P/E/G ratio of 4.31 and a beta of 0.58. 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 (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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 return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%. The firm had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.68 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter 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. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Freedom Broker upgraded Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Guggenheim set a $130.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Tigress Financial restated a "buy" rating and issued a $155.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, August 31st. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Walmart from $147.00 to $132.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on shares of Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $131.74.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart opened a more than 900,000-square-foot automated fulfillment center in Stockton, California. The facility uses automation and machine learning to reduce order processing steps, improve West Coast delivery speed and support e-commerce growth. Walmart's Fulfillment Center to Boost West Coast Delivery Reach
• Positive Sentiment: Research indicating Walmart is frequently recommended by AI shopping tools could strengthen its online visibility and help capture holiday and everyday-product demand as consumers increasingly use artificial intelligence for shopping. Walmart Inc. Stock: AI Chatbot Recommendations Fuel Growth Potential
• Neutral Sentiment: Beginning in 2027, Walmart plans to provide eligible employees with more than 250 medications at no cost, including certain insulin, inhalers and GLP-1 treatments such as Ozempic and Mounjaro. The expanded benefits may improve employee recruitment and retention, but could also increase operating expenses. Walmart to Cover Some GLP-1s, Inhalers and Insulin for Employees
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains the main concern. Walmart trades at roughly 36 times forward earnings and about 40 times trailing earnings, a premium to its historical average and the broader consumer-staples sector. Analysts also point to rising costs and margin pressure, limiting the potential upside unless digital growth, advertising and memberships accelerate. Walmart Trading at 36.32X Forward P/E
• Negative Sentiment: GF Value analysis characterized Walmart shares as still overvalued, reinforcing investor caution after the stock’s decline from its 52-week high. Walmart Shares Fall—GF Value Says Still Overvalued

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total value of $5,335,345.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 201,672 shares of the company's stock, valued at $21,246,145.20. This represents a 20.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through 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, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.66, for a total value of $1,399,912.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 647,912 shares in the company, valued at approximately $69,106,293.92. This represents a 1.99% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 81,219 shares of company stock worth $8,604,429. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Walmart Profile

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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