Apella Capital LLC Has $7.98 Million Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Apella Capital LLC increased its Walmart stake by 210% in the first quarter, buying 42,418 additional shares to bring its total to 62,621 shares worth about $7.98 million.
• Institutional ownership remains strong, with major funds like Vanguard, State Street, Geode Capital, Norges Bank, and Fisher Asset Management all holding large positions in Walmart; institutions and hedge funds own 26.76% of the stock.
• Walmart’s latest quarter met expectations, with EPS of $0.66 matching consensus and revenue of $177.75 billion topping estimates, while analysts maintain a Moderate Buy rating and an average price target of $138.85.

Apella Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 210.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 62,621 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 42,418 shares during the quarter. Apella Capital LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $7,984,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $49,015,626,000 after acquiring an additional 4,304,436 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in Walmart by 1.2% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer's stock worth $19,046,104,000 after buying an additional 2,242,364 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 6.8% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $11,426,753,000 after purchasing an additional 6,517,394 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $6,458,529,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,626,852 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $4,526,238,000 after acquiring an additional 328,229 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on WMT. Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Freedom Capital raised Walmart from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $150.00 price target (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 price objective on Walmart in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, KeyCorp restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Walmart has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $138.85.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.19, for a total value of $342,751.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 574,953 shares of the company's stock, valued at $67,953,695.07. This represents a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total value of $2,303,320.08. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,174,579 shares of the company's stock, valued at $495,230,306.77. The trade was a 0.46% 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 sold a total of 100,730 shares of company stock worth $12,444,624 in the last three months. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT stock opened at $115.69 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market cap of $920.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.59, a P/E/G ratio of 4.32 and a beta of 0.59. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $94.23 and a 52 week high of $135.15. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $123.74 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $122.17.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66. The firm had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.61 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts said Walmart’s reported deal for Vibe.co strengthens its advertising strategy and could support long-term revenue growth, helping investors see the company as more than just a low-margin retailer. Prediction: Walmart Will Rejoin the $1 Trillion Club by 2027. Here's Why It's a Great Buy Now.
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding Shapermint into 1,600 more stores nationwide, adding another growth initiative outside core grocery sales and reinforcing its push into higher-margin apparel and lifestyle categories. Walmart (WMT) Expands Shapermint Into 1,600 More Stores Nationwide
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Walmart’s long-term scale and growth prospects suggests the stock remains attractive for investors who believe its advertising, marketplace, and omnichannel businesses can expand profits over time. Walmart vs. Target: Which Stock Offers Better Long-Term Value?
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles compared Walmart with rivals like Target and Amazon, reflecting investor focus on competitive positioning rather than a clear new catalyst for earnings. Walmart Wants to Turn the Living Room Into a Storefront
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports that Amazon has surpassed Walmart as the largest U.S. retailer by GMV and commentary that Walmart has fallen out of the $1 trillion club may weigh on sentiment, but these were framed more as strategic context than immediate fundamental damage. Amazon Unseats Walmart as Top US Retailer

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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