71,766 Shares in Walmart Inc. $WMT Bought by Emerald Investment Advisers LLC

Emerald Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 71,766 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $8,128,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Walmart during the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Walmart by 57.4% during the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Sankala Group LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of WMT opened at $104.34 on Thursday. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $95.60 and a 12 month 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 fifty day moving average price of $112.47 and a 200 day moving average price of $120.78. The company has a market cap of $830.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.67, a PEG ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.61.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted 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. The company had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $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 forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,985,527.94. The trade was a 8.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 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 transaction of $308,386.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 569,153 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $60,523,730.02. This trade represents a 0.51% 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. Insiders have sold a total of 26,648 shares of company stock worth $3,085,798 in the last ninety days. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting 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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. BNP Paribas Exane restated an "outperform" rating and set a $137.00 price objective (down from $146.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $130.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Tigress Financial reissued a "buy" rating and set a $155.00 price target (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 29th. BMO Capital Markets restated an "outperform" rating and set a $126.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a report 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $131.88.

Walmart Company 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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