Altman Advisors Inc. Makes New Investment in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Altman Advisors acquired 26,795 Walmart shares during the second quarter, valued at approximately $3.04 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company.
• Walmart exceeded quarterly expectations with adjusted EPS of $0.81 versus $0.74 expected and revenue of $187.94 billion, up 5.9% year over year. However, U.S. comparable-sales growth slowed to 2.6%, raising concerns about moderating consumer demand.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $131.88, though several firms recently lowered their targets. Shares opened at $106.49 and trade at a relatively high price-to-earnings ratio of 38.44.

Altman Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 26,795 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $3,035,000.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the first quarter worth about $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Walmart by 57.4% in the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Sankala Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda. acquired a new position in Walmart during the first quarter worth $37,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the company'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 owned 125,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,985,527.94. This represents a 8.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total transaction of $1,308,670.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 120,203 shares in the company, valued at $14,300,550.91. This represents a 8.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 57,064 shares of company stock valued at $6,697,788. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity may indicate increased near-term bullish interest. Investors purchased 166,747 call options, about 33% above the typical daily volume. However, options activity is speculative and does not guarantee further gains.
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is rolling out tap-to-pay and NFC capabilities across its U.S. stores and clubs. The move could improve checkout convenience, support mobile-wallet adoption and strengthen customer engagement as digital sales and membership become more important. Can Walmart's Tap to Pay Push Strengthen Customer Engagement?
• Positive Sentiment: The company is introducing Scenario, a mostly sub-$25 fashion brand aimed at younger shoppers. Walmart hopes the offering will attract value-conscious consumers and improve its competitive position against Amazon in apparel. Walmart Aims to Take On Amazon With Trendier Apparel
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s latest quarter exceeded expectations, with adjusted earnings of $0.81 per share versus roughly $0.74 expected and revenue of $187.94 billion, up 5.9% year over year. Full-year sales guidance was also raised to 4%-5%, but the outlook implies moderating growth.
• Negative Sentiment: U.S. comparable sales growth slowed to 2.6%, compared with 4.1% in the prior quarter and 4.6% a year earlier. Investors remain concerned that cautious consumers and uneven spending are pressuring traffic and discretionary purchases.
• Negative Sentiment: Several analysts reduced Walmart’s price targets or issued more cautious forecasts after the earnings report. Critics also argue that the stock remains expensive at roughly 36 times forward earnings despite decelerating growth, limiting upside.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WMT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday. BNP Paribas Exane reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $137.00 price target (down from $146.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $125.00 price objective (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. BTIG Research lowered 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. Finally, Erste Group Bank cut shares of Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell 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 Stock Performance

NASDAQ WMT opened at $106.49 on Tuesday. 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 fifty-two week low of $95.42 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. The business has a fifty day moving average of $113.06 and a 200-day moving average of $121.09. The stock has a market cap of $847.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.91 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 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $187.94 billion during 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 quarter last year, the business posted $0.68 EPS. 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, analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Walmart

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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