Ameritas Advisory Services LLC Has $15.94 Million Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Ameritas Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 78.0% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 140,738 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 61,651 shares during the quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $15,940,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bell & Brown Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the second quarter worth approximately $6,451,000. Advisortrust Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 20.2% in the 1st quarter. Advisortrust Partners LLC now owns 67,142 shares of the retailer's stock worth $8,344,000 after purchasing an additional 11,283 shares during the period. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 253.3% in the 1st quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 384,034 shares of the retailer's stock worth $47,728,000 after purchasing an additional 275,337 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 2,416,580 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $300,333,000 after purchasing an additional 68,632 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vise Technologies Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 42.1% in the 4th quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 275,341 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $30,676,000 after purchasing an additional 81,635 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Dunkin’ delivery expands Walmart’s digital ecosystem. Walmart’s partnership with Dunkin’ adds restaurant delivery to its three-month-old service, broadening convenience offerings and giving the retailer another opportunity to increase customer engagement, order frequency and delivery revenue while competing with DoorDash and Uber Eats. Walmart Shoppers Can Now Get Dunkin’ Delivered
• Positive Sentiment: Fraud prevention could become an additional retail technology opportunity. Walmart’s work with Amazon on fraud prevention highlights its efforts to protect shoppers and potentially develop technology and services that improve trust, retention and the economics of digital commerce. Amazon and Walmart Turn Fraud Prevention Into a Retail Product
• Neutral Sentiment: Retail comparisons show Walmart remains a key consumer bellwether. Recent large-format retailer results point to a divided, or “K-shaped,” consumer economy: higher-income shoppers continue spending in some discretionary categories, while value-focused consumers face pressure from elevated grocery costs. This creates both traffic opportunities and potential margin challenges for Walmart. Retail Earnings Expose a Bigger Divide in the U.S. Consumer Economy
• Neutral Sentiment: Haleon’s improved shelf placement reinforces Walmart’s importance to suppliers. Better positioning for Haleon brands such as Sensodyne may support product visibility and sales, though the report primarily benefits Haleon and does not materially change Walmart’s financial outlook. Haleon Secures Better Shelf Space at Walmart
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff and margin concerns are weighing on the investment case. Mixed retail results suggest Walmart may face pressure balancing value pricing with higher product costs, while its elevated earnings multiple leaves less room for execution disappointments.
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory scrutiny adds an overhang. The Department of Justice’s investigation into rising beef prices has expanded to Walmart and other retailers. No wrongdoing has been established, but the inquiry creates potential legal, reputational and compliance risks.
• Neutral Sentiment: An executive share sale was limited and prearranged. EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,950 shares worth approximately $415,000 under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, reducing his direct holdings by only 0.63%; the transaction is therefore a weak trading signal. Daniel Bartlett Sells Walmart Shares

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $107.14 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $850.02 billion, a PE ratio of 38.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.09 and a beta of 0.59. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $98.88 and a 52 week high of $135.15. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $110.81 and a 200-day moving average price of $119.52. 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 posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share 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 analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last 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. Equities analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP David Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total value of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares in the company, 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 hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Christopher Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total transaction of $308,386.00. Following the completion of the sale, 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 81,242 shares of company stock valued at $8,836,446 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Guggenheim set a $130.00 target price on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Roth Capital reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Tigress Financial reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $155.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, August 31st. 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, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target 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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