Arvest Bank Trust Division Acquires 137,361 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Arvest Bank Trust Division raised its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 30.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 590,623 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 137,361 shares during the period. Walmart comprises about 4.0% of Arvest Bank Trust Division's holdings, making the stock its 5th largest position. Arvest Bank Trust Division's holdings in Walmart were worth $73,403,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in Walmart by 28.8% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 98,150 shares of the retailer's stock worth $8,868,000 after purchasing an additional 21,939 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 5.8% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,849 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $800,000 after purchasing an additional 485 shares in the last quarter. Peterson Wealth Management boosted 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 valued at $4,416,000 after buying an additional 1,715 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its position 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 valued at $1,272,000 after buying an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its holdings in 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 in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is still attracting new brands to its platform, with candy maker Final Boss Sour raising funding and securing shelf space at the retailer. That supports Walmart’s marketplace growth strategy and could help improve traffic and monetization over time. Walmart (WMT) Faces A Fresh Valuation Test As New Brands Join Its Platform
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted a rebound in Walmart’s general merchandise business, including fashion, hardlines, private brands, and marketplace growth, which could lift margins if the trend continues. Can Walmart's General Merchandise Revival Unlock Higher Margins?
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart was mentioned in broader ecommerce-stock watch lists, which is not a direct catalyst but suggests continued investor attention on the retail and online commerce space. Top Ecommerce Stocks To Watch Now - July 18th
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market headlines about renewed U.S.-Iran tensions and potential energy-price pressure may be weighing on consumer sentiment and creating a modest headwind for Walmart’s near-term trading. As the U.S.-Iran war heats up again, these parts of the stock market and economy could be affected
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart pulled certain lettuce items amid cyclosporiasis-linked recalls, which can create short-term reputational and operational concerns for the grocer. Walmart pulls lettuce items amid cyclosporiasis-linked recalls
• Negative Sentiment: The stock also faces valuation pressure, with recent commentary noting that Walmart’s share performance has lagged and that investors are reassessing how much growth is already priced in. Walmart (WMT) Faces A Fresh Valuation Test As New Brands Join Its Platform

Analyst Ratings Changes

WMT has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 18th. BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating and set a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $137.00 price target (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Erste Group Bank lowered Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded Walmart from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $138.85.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total value of $413,891.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 630,009 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $69,074,186.76. This trade represents a 0.60% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total transaction of $1,308,670.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 120,203 shares in the company, valued at $14,300,550.91. The trade was a 8.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 87,145 shares of company stock worth $10,691,920 in the last 90 days. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Walmart Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $110.39 on Wednesday. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $95.29 and a one year high of $135.15. 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 business's fifty day moving average price is $118.11 and its 200-day moving average price is $122.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $878.49 billion, a PE ratio of 38.73, a P/E/G ratio of 4.18 and a beta of 0.60.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business 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. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

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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