Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. Invests $9.88 Million in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. bought a new stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 87,207 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $9,877,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. MFA Wealth Services raised its holdings in Walmart by 0.7% during the first quarter. MFA Wealth Services now owns 10,909 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,356,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Realta Investment Advisors lifted its position in Walmart by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. Realta Investment Advisors now owns 4,089 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $508,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Compton Financial Group LLC lifted its position in Walmart by 4.1% in the 1st quarter. Compton Financial Group LLC now owns 2,081 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $259,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Group LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Renaissance Group LLC now owns 9,636 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,074,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Calton & Associates Inc. increased its holdings in Walmart by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. now owns 27,220 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,033,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s fiscal second-quarter results showed continued momentum beyond traditional store sales: revenue reached approximately $187.9 billion, global e-commerce grew 23%, and advertising revenue increased 38%. These higher-growth businesses could support future margins and cash flow. Walmart Growth Engine Hums
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary continue to point to Walmart’s expanding e-commerce, digital advertising, memberships, convenience-led fulfillment, automation and AI initiatives as reasons the recent decline could represent a long-term buying opportunity. Walmart’s scale and value-focused pricing remain important competitive advantages. Walmart Continues to Grow Beyond Retail
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart settled a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit alleging that its pharmacies unlawfully contributed to the opioid epidemic. Resolving the case removes an overhang and reduces legal uncertainty, although the financial terms and any broader implications remain important for investors. Walmart Settles U.S. Opioid Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage highlights a potentially tougher consumer environment. Walmart’s comparable sales growth was 3.4% excluding pharmacy-related items, while middle-income shoppers appear increasingly focused on necessities and limiting discretionary purchases. Walmart and Home Depot Results
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are also questioning whether Walmart’s valuation adequately reflects its strong performance. A high earnings multiple, slower core sales growth and the stock’s position below its moving averages have amplified the impact of the recent selloff. Walmart Selloff Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Executive Vice President Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares worth approximately $5.3 million. The sale was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan to cover taxes on vested equity awards, making it a weaker bearish signal than discretionary insider selling. Walmart Insider Trading Filing

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total value of $308,386.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 569,153 shares in the company, valued at $60,523,730.02. The trade was a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal 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, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,985,527.94. This represents a 8.74% 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 77,292 shares of company stock worth $8,421,143. Insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on WMT shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $130.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $125.00 price target (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Evercore set a $125.00 price target on Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Three equities research 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. According to MarketBeat, Walmart currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $131.88.

Walmart Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $103.09 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $820.40 billion, a PE ratio of 37.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $111.90 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $120.45. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $95.79 and a 1 year high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $187.94 billion during 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 business's revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.68 EPS. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. Analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current 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.

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