Bridgewater Advisors Inc. Increases Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Bridgewater Advisors increased its Walmart position by 65.8% in the second quarter, adding 15,469 shares for a total holding of 38,961 shares valued at approximately $4.3 million. Institutional investors collectively own 26.76% of Walmart.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with Walmart receiving a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $138.50. However, one analyst recently downgraded the stock to “Market Perform.”
• Walmart’s e-commerce growth, improving profit mix and expanding advertising business support its outlook, while cooling same-store sales, fuel-cost pressures, cautious consumer spending and a demanding valuation remain key risks.

Bridgewater Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 65.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 38,961 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 15,469 shares during the quarter. Bridgewater Advisors Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $4,313,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of WMT. KBC Group NV boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 5.1% in the second quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 980,306 shares of the retailer's stock worth $110,980,000 after acquiring an additional 47,685 shares during the last quarter. Souders Financial Advisors increased its position in Walmart by 1.3% during the second quarter. Souders Financial Advisors now owns 16,190 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,834,000 after purchasing an additional 207 shares during the last quarter. GWN Securities Inc. raised its stake in Walmart by 3.7% during the second quarter. GWN Securities Inc. now owns 20,623 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,336,000 after purchasing an additional 740 shares during the period. Parr Mcknight Wealth Management Group LLC raised its stake in Walmart by 2.0% during the second quarter. Parr Mcknight Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 35,408 shares of the retailer's stock worth $4,010,000 after purchasing an additional 691 shares during the period. Finally, Bayforest Capital Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 39.1% in the 2nd quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 1,533 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $174,000 after purchasing an additional 431 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Mizuho set a $130.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $142.00 target price on Walmart and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Oppenheimer downgraded Walmart from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $138.50.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s history of earnings surprises, along with favorable estimates and other indicators tracked by Zacks, suggests the company could exceed consensus expectations again. Why Walmart Could Beat Earnings Estimates Again
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are highlighting continued e-commerce momentum, improving profit mix and Walmart Connect’s rapidly growing advertising business. Advertising revenue carries higher margins and may help offset price investments, delivery costs and softer store-sales growth. As Retail Stagnates, Ad Dollars Help Walmart Stay the Course
• Positive Sentiment: DA Davidson reaffirmed its buy rating and assigned a $150 price target, indicating substantial potential appreciation if Walmart delivers on its growth and profitability plans. DA Davidson Walmart Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: The upcoming report is viewed as an important read on the U.S. consumer because Walmart serves both value-focused and higher-income shoppers. Its performance could provide broader insight into household spending trends. What Walmart and Target Earnings Could Tell Us About Consumers
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s low-price strategy and thousands of rollbacks may sustain customer traffic, although rising fuel costs are creating pressure for lower-income shoppers. Can Walmart Sustain Growth as Household Budgets Tighten?
• Negative Sentiment: Same-store sales growth has cooled, and investors remain concerned that Walmart’s cautious annual outlook could limit upside. The company is increasingly relying on higher-margin advertising to support profitability as core retail momentum moderates. Walmart Investors Hang Hopes on Retail Media as Sales Cool
• Negative Sentiment: Several previews warn that WMT’s valuation is demanding, while fuel costs, cautious consumers and operating-margin pressure could make it difficult to justify further gains. One report also frames the company’s long dividend-growth streak as potentially vulnerable if earnings and cash flow weaken. Walmart Strong Company but Overvalued Before Earnings

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $115.20 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $916.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.42, a PEG ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 0.61. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $114.15 and its 200 day simple moving average is $121.52. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $95.42 and a twelve month high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The firm had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.61 EPS. The firm's quarterly 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. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,710 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.10, for a total value of $419,601.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 626,299 shares in the company, valued at approximately $70,834,416.90. This trade represents a 0.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total value of $1,308,670.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 120,203 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. The trade was a 8.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 70,189 shares of company stock valued at $8,377,320. 0.09% of the stock is owned by 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.

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.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source