Capital Wealth Planning LLC Raises Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Capital Wealth Planning LLC dramatically increased its Walmart stake in the fourth quarter, lifting holdings by 23,014.7% to 3.99 million shares worth about $447 million. Walmart became the firm’s 17th-largest position and accounted for roughly 2.9% of its portfolio.
• Several other institutional investors also added to or initiated positions in Walmart, and hedge funds now own 26.76% of the stock. That suggests continued institutional interest in the retailer despite mixed sentiment around valuation.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on Walmart, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $138.85. Recent reports also highlight growth initiatives such as drone delivery, AI-powered warehouses, and digital transformation efforts.

Capital Wealth Planning LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 23,014.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,992,835 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 3,975,561 shares during the period. Walmart comprises about 2.9% of Capital Wealth Planning LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position. Capital Wealth Planning LLC owned about 0.05% of Walmart worth $447,034,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Renaissance Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Renaissance Group LLC now owns 9,636 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,074,000 after buying an additional 83 shares during the period. Entelevest LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth approximately $219,000. Gilpin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth approximately $212,000. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 3.8% during the fourth quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC now owns 51,126 shares of the retailer's stock worth $5,696,000 after buying an additional 1,866 shares during the period. Finally, Prism Planning Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth approximately $396,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on WMT shares. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Telsey Advisory Group upped their target price on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Tigress Financial restated a "buy" rating and set a $155.00 target price (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and set a $135.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $138.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $138.85.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total value of $2,303,320.08. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,174,579 shares in the company, valued at $495,230,306.77. This represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at 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, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total value of $359,368.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 577,853 shares of the company's stock, valued at $71,607,543.76. The trade was a 0.50% 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. Insiders sold a total of 117,008 shares of company stock valued at $14,492,704 over the last three months. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding its drone delivery program with Alphabet’s Wing, adding another fast-delivery capability that could strengthen its e-commerce and convenience moat. Eyes on the sky: Walmart and Alphabet's Wing expand their drone delivery program
• Positive Sentiment: Business Insider reported that Walmart’s AI-powered warehouses are speeding up freight handling and reducing the time store employees need to unload trucks, a sign that automation is improving efficiency and potentially margins. Walmart's AI-powered warehouses are slashing the time it takes store employees to unload trucks
• Positive Sentiment: Recent conference appearances suggest management is highlighting Walmart’s growth in digital, e-commerce, and higher-margin services, which may reinforce the long-term bull case for the stock. Walmart Inc. (WMT) Presents at Oppenheimer 26th Annual Consumer Growth and E-Commerce Conference Transcript Walmart Inc. (WMT) Presents at The 6th Annual Evercore Consumer & Retail Conference Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain split on Walmart, indicating the market is still weighing the company’s growth initiatives against its valuation. Analysts Have Conflicting Sentiments on These Consumer Goods Companies: Walmart (WMT), Campbell Soup (CPB) and JM Smucker (SJM)
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage around Walmart’s retail media expansion, Subway integration, and broader digital transformation has raised questions about valuation, but also underscores the company’s push into higher-margin services. Walmart Media Expansion And Delivery Push Raise Questions For WMT Valuation Walmart (WMT) Valuation Check As Subway Integration And Higher Margin Services Draw New Attention Walmart's No. 2 Ranking Hides a Digital Transformation Story

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $120.59 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $959.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.31, a P/E/G ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 0.59. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $93.43 and a 52 week high of $135.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firm's 50 day moving average is $125.43 and its two-hundred day moving average is $121.56.

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