Anchor Capital Advisors LLC Lowers Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Anchor Capital Advisors cut its Walmart stake by 79.8% in the second quarter, selling 93,619 shares and retaining 23,764 shares valued at approximately $2.69 million.
• Walmart reported quarterly EPS of $0.81, beating estimates of $0.74, while revenue rose 5.9% year over year to $187.94 billion. The company issued fiscal 2027 EPS guidance of $2.80–$2.87.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $131.88, although several firms recently reduced their targets.

Anchor Capital Advisors LLC decreased its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 79.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 23,764 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 93,619 shares during the quarter. Anchor Capital Advisors LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $2,691,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in Walmart by 28.8% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 98,150 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $8,868,000 after purchasing an additional 21,939 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Walmart by 5.8% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,849 shares of the retailer's stock worth $800,000 after buying an additional 485 shares in the last quarter. Peterson Wealth Management grew its position in shares of Walmart by 3.5% during the first quarter. Peterson Wealth Management now owns 50,307 shares of the retailer's stock worth $4,416,000 after buying an additional 1,715 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.9% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 13,008 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,272,000 after buying an additional 116 shares during the period. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.2% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 91,341 shares of the retailer's stock worth $8,931,000 after buying an additional 1,048 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,985,527.94. This trade represents a 8.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Christopher Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total value of $308,386.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 569,153 shares in the company, valued at $60,523,730.02. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 81,242 shares of company stock worth $8,836,446. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $107.14 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $850.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.68, a P/E/G ratio of 4.09 and a beta of 0.59. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $110.66 and a 200 day moving average price of $119.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $98.88 and a 1-year high of $135.15.

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, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The company had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.68 earnings per share. Walmart's quarterly revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on WMT. Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $128.00 price target (down from $137.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Roth Capital reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Guggenheim set a $130.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. DA Davidson set a $132.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Three 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's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $131.88.

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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