Arete Wealth Advisors LLC Increases Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Arete Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 14.6% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 71,317 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 9,074 shares during the period. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $8,857,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of WMT. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $6,458,529,000. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Walmart by 188.1% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,199,907,000 after buying an additional 7,614,172 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 6.8% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer's stock worth $11,426,753,000 after buying an additional 6,517,394 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $592,848,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 1.0% in the fourth 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 during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WMT has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. TD Cowen reissued 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. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and set a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Walmart from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Guggenheim upped their price target on shares of Walmart from $120.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $138.65.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Expanded wellness assortment could support growth. Walmart added or expanded placements for products from Magic Science, Kate Farms, Edible Garden AG and Final Boss Sour across stores and Walmart.com ahead of back-to-school shopping. The move reinforces Walmart’s position in health, wellness and everyday essentials, although the near-term financial impact is not yet quantified. How Walmart’s Back-to-School Wellness Push With New Brands Will Impact Walmart Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Potential shareholder-return support from buybacks. Coverage of Walmart’s large repurchase authorization highlights the possibility of reducing shares outstanding, increasing per-share earnings and supporting long-term shareholder returns. The benefit depends on the pace and price of repurchases, particularly given Walmart’s elevated valuation. Walmart’s Stock Buybacks: How Its Massive New Repurchase Program Could Affect Shareholder Returns
• Positive Sentiment: FTC clearance removes a hurdle for the Vibe transaction. The Federal Trade Commission’s decision allowing Walmart’s deal for Vibe to proceed reduces near-term regulatory uncertainty and could provide an additional growth opportunity, though the article provides limited details on the transaction’s expected financial contribution. Walmart’s Deal for Vibe Is Cleared by the FTC to Progress
• Neutral Sentiment: Peer comparisons underscore valuation concerns. Articles comparing Walmart with J. Sainsbury and Costco point to Walmart’s resilient retail model, digital growth and customer loyalty, but also emphasize differences in valuation and earnings drivers. With Walmart trading at a relatively high earnings multiple, investors may require continued strong execution to justify the premium. Walmart vs. Costco: Which Retail Stock Has the Stronger Edge?
• Negative Sentiment: AI shopping-bot findings raised regulatory risk. A study led by former FTC Chair Lina Khan said Amazon and Walmart’s AI assistants can identify potentially false “Made in USA” claims but do not consistently flag them to shoppers. The findings could increase scrutiny over marketplace oversight, consumer protection and the accuracy of Walmart’s AI tools, weighing on sentiment. Amazon, Walmart AI Detect ‘Made in USA’ Fraud but Do Not Flag It, Study Says

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total transaction of $2,303,320.08. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,174,579 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $495,230,306.77. This trade represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the business's 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 owned 125,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,985,527.94. The trade was a 8.74% 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. Insiders have sold a total of 67,729 shares of company stock worth $8,124,931 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $111.10 on Friday. The company's fifty day moving average price is $115.35 and its 200-day moving average price is $122.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $884.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.98, a PEG ratio of 4.26 and a beta of 0.60. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $95.42 and a one year high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.61 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WMT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.