Castleark Management LLC Makes New Investment in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Castleark Management LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 91,570 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $10,371,000.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Walmart during the 1st quarter worth $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 57.4% in the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the period. Sankala Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda. bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the first quarter worth $37,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Up 0.4%

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $103.09 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $95.79 and a 1 year high of $135.15. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $111.90 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $120.45. The stock has a market cap of $820.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.22, a PEG ratio of 3.90 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The company had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. During the same quarter 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. As a group, equities analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on WMT. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $130.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $130.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Guggenheim set a $130.00 target price on shares of Walmart and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $113.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $128.00 price target (down from $137.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $131.88.

Key Stories Impacting 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

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 569,153 shares in the company, valued at $60,523,730.02. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at $14,985,527.94. This represents a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 77,292 shares of company stock valued at $8,421,143. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Walmart 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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