39,368 Shares in Walmart Inc. $WMT Acquired by Brooks Moore & Associates Inc.

Key Points

• Brooks Moore & Associates acquired 39,368 Walmart shares in the second quarter, valued at approximately $4.46 million and representing about 2% of the firm’s portfolio.
• Other major institutions, including State Street and Geode Capital Management, also increased their Walmart holdings; hedge funds and institutional investors collectively own 26.76% of the company.
• Walmart recently exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, with revenue rising 5.9% year over year to $187.94 billion, although the stock’s valuation, slower comparable-sales growth and recent decline remain concerns. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $131.88.

Brooks Moore & Associates Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund acquired 39,368 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $4,459,000. Walmart comprises approximately 2.0% of Brooks Moore & Associates Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of WMT. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer's stock worth $19,046,104,000 after acquiring an additional 2,242,364 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 6.8% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $11,426,753,000 after acquiring an additional 6,517,394 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth about $7,455,131,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $6,458,529,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Walmart by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,626,852 shares of the retailer's stock worth $4,526,238,000 after purchasing an additional 328,229 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s fiscal second-quarter results showed continued momentum beyond traditional store sales: revenue reached approximately $187.9 billion, global e-commerce grew 23%, and advertising revenue increased 38%. These higher-growth businesses could support future margins and cash flow. Walmart Growth Engine Hums
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary continue to point to Walmart’s expanding e-commerce, digital advertising, memberships, convenience-led fulfillment, automation and AI initiatives as reasons the recent decline could represent a long-term buying opportunity. Walmart’s scale and value-focused pricing remain important competitive advantages. Walmart Continues to Grow Beyond Retail
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart settled a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit alleging that its pharmacies unlawfully contributed to the opioid epidemic. Resolving the case removes an overhang and reduces legal uncertainty, although the financial terms and any broader implications remain important for investors. Walmart Settles U.S. Opioid Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage highlights a potentially tougher consumer environment. Walmart’s comparable sales growth was 3.4% excluding pharmacy-related items, while middle-income shoppers appear increasingly focused on necessities and limiting discretionary purchases. Walmart and Home Depot Results
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are also questioning whether Walmart’s valuation adequately reflects its strong performance. A high earnings multiple, slower core sales growth and the stock’s position below its moving averages have amplified the impact of the recent selloff. Walmart Selloff Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Executive Vice President Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares worth approximately $5.3 million. The sale was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan to cover taxes on vested equity awards, making it a weaker bearish signal than discretionary insider selling. Walmart Insider Trading Filing

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,710 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.10, for a total transaction of $419,601.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 626,299 shares in the company, valued at $70,834,416.90. This represents a 0.59% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at $14,985,527.94. The trade was a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 77,292 shares of company stock worth $8,421,143 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

WMT opened at $103.09 on Monday. 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 $95.79 and a 52 week high of $135.15. The business's 50 day moving average is $111.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $120.39. The firm has a market cap of $820.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.61.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. The business had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The company's revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.68 earnings per share. 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, research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $128.00 price target (down from $137.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $120.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. BTIG Research dropped their target price on shares of Walmart from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, DA Davidson set a $132.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note 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 given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walmart has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $131.88.

Walmart 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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