Americana Partners LLC Buys 65,744 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Americana Partners LLC increased its Walmart stake by 15.9% in the fourth quarter, buying 65,744 more shares and bringing its total holding to 478,992 shares worth about $53.4 million.
• Walmart reported strong quarterly results, with earnings of $0.66 per share matching estimates and revenue of $177.75 billion beating expectations, while revenue rose 7.4% year over year.
• Wall Street remains broadly upbeat on the stock, with a consensus Buy rating and an average price target of $138.71, though the company has also faced some caution after issuing softer-than-expected guidance.

Americana Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 15.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 478,992 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 65,744 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for about 1.5% of Americana Partners LLC's holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest position. Americana Partners LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $53,364,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of WMT. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in Walmart by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,561 shares of the retailer's stock worth $285,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the period. Capstone Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Walmart by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,955 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $552,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Ellenbecker Investment Group grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Ellenbecker Investment Group now owns 14,475 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,613,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Matrix Trust Co grew its position in Walmart by 20.0% during the 4th quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 547 shares of the retailer's stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HRC Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Walmart by 4.4% in the 4th quarter. HRC Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,209 shares of the retailer's stock worth $246,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $120.27 on Friday. The firm's 50-day moving average is $126.77 and its 200 day moving average is $120.03. The company has a market capitalization of $958.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.20, a PEG ratio of 4.49 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $93.43 and a 12 month high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.Walmart's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.61 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. Research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on WMT shares. Argus upgraded shares of Walmart to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Erste Group Bank raised Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $138.71.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart posted solid first-quarter results, with revenue of $177.8 billion and EPS of $0.66, while e-commerce sales rose 26% and advertising revenue jumped 37%, highlighting continued strength in digital and membership-driven businesses.
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts remained constructive after earnings: Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating and said Walmart is well positioned to gain share in a price-sensitive environment, while BTIG and BNP Paribas Exane also kept positive ratings despite modestly trimming price targets.
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart disclosed pre-arranged insider sales by CEO John Furner and EVP Christopher James Nicholas, but both transactions were made under 10b5-1 plans, which typically limits how much investors read into them.
• Neutral Sentiment: News reports also noted leadership changes, including the departure of Sam’s Club COO Tom Ward and U.S. stores EVP Cedric Clark, adding some uncertainty but not appearing to change the company’s near-term operating outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Shares weakened after Walmart issued second-quarter EPS guidance below consensus and reaffirmed full-year targets that also came in below Wall Street expectations, prompting concerns that margin pressure could continue.
• Negative Sentiment: Management said elevated fuel prices are pressuring both consumers and Walmart’s own costs, reinforcing worries that spending could soften and profitability could stay under pressure in the coming quarters.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total transaction of $2,555,800.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at approximately $62,203,571.56. This trade represents a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,335 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.63, for a total transaction of $166,381.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 636,843 shares of the company's stock, valued at $79,369,743.09. This represents a 0.21% 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. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 126,008 shares of company stock worth $15,896,715. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

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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