Bcwm LLC Acquires Shares of 76,114 Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Bcwm LLC acquired 76,114 Walmart shares in the second quarter, valued at approximately $8.6 million and representing about 2.5% of the firm’s portfolio. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 26.76% of Walmart.
• Walmart reported quarterly revenue of $187.94 billion, up 5.9% year over year, and earnings per share of $0.81, exceeding analysts’ $0.74 estimate. Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $131.88, despite several recent target reductions.
• Shares opened at $103.09, below both their 50-day and 200-day moving averages, while Walmart trades at a relatively high price-to-earnings ratio of 37.22. Growth in e-commerce and advertising remains a positive, but softer discretionary spending and valuation concerns weigh on the stock.

Bcwm LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 76,114 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $8,621,000. Walmart comprises approximately 2.5% of Bcwm LLC's holdings, making the stock its 17th biggest holding.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of WMT. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Walmart by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $19,046,104,000 after buying an additional 2,242,364 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 6.8% during 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. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth $6,458,529,000. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 0.8% in the fourth 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. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 36,820,550 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $4,102,546,000 after acquiring an additional 920,969 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on WMT shares. Oppenheimer reaffirmed a "market perform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday. Roth Capital restated a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Walmart from $147.00 to $132.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 21st. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on shares of Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $125.00 price target (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $131.88.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

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

Walmart Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of WMT opened at $103.09 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $95.79 and a 52-week high of $135.15. The firm has a market cap of $820.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.22, a PEG ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.61. The business's fifty day moving average is $111.90 and its 200-day moving average is $120.45.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The business had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.68 earnings per share. Walmart's revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the company'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 transaction of $413,891.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 630,009 shares in the company, valued at $69,074,186.76. This represents a 0.60% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total transaction of $308,386.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 569,153 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $60,523,730.02. The trade was a 0.51% decrease in their position. 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. Insiders have sold 77,292 shares of company stock valued at $8,421,143 in the last quarter. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.

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.

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