Cercano Management LLC Increases Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Cercano Management LLC sharply increased its Walmart stake by 408.8% in the fourth quarter, ending with 69,379 shares valued at about $7.73 million, according to its latest 13F filing.
• Walmart’s delivery and tech initiatives remain a major growth theme, with drones surpassing 1 million deliveries and 30-minute delivery expanding to 33 U.S. markets. Analysts also cited AI progress as a reason for raising price targets.
• Despite some insider selling, analysts remain broadly bullish on Walmart: recent reports included multiple “buy” and “overweight” ratings, with an average price target of $138.85 versus the stock’s recent price near $114.60.

Cercano Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 408.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 69,379 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 55,744 shares during the quarter. Cercano Management LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $7,730,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Walmart by 57.4% during the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart said its drones have now completed more than 1 million deliveries, highlighting momentum in its fast-growing delivery network and reinforcing its push to improve convenience and speed for shoppers. Walmart Marks Millionth Drone Drop-Off Amid Increased Delivery Focus
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart expanded 30-minute delivery to 33 U.S. markets, strengthening its competitive position in grocery, pharmacy, and everyday essentials as e-commerce demand continues to rise. Walmart's 30-Minute Delivery Expansion Strengthens Its Retail Edge
• Positive Sentiment: Tigress Financial reportedly raised its price target on Walmart, citing AI investments gaining traction, which suggests some analysts still see upside from the company’s technology and automation efforts. Walmart (WMT) Gets Higher Price Target from Tigress Financial as AI Investments Gain Traction
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is expanding its private-brand selection with new hardware and home products, a move that could help it win value-conscious shoppers, but the near-term stock impact is likely modest. Walmart Expands Private Brand Selection as Shoppers Cut Back
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent insider stock sales by executives, including C. Douglas McMillon and Latriece Watkins, may draw attention, but these transactions are not necessarily a negative signal for the business itself. C Douglas Mcmillon Sells 19,416 Shares of Walmart NASDAQ: WMT Stock Latriece Watkins Sells 11,000 Shares of Walmart NASDAQ: WMT Stock
• Negative Sentiment: A report that Walmart capped employee AI usage could be seen as a short-term operational constraint, potentially limiting efficiency gains from an area investors view as a future growth driver. Update: Market Chatter: Walmart Limits Staff's Usage of AI Tool After High Demand

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.96, for a total value of $1,600,725.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 687,287 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $83,821,522.52. This trade represents a 1.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total transaction of $359,368.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 577,853 shares in the company, valued at $71,607,543.76. This represents a 0.50% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 117,008 shares of company stock worth $14,492,704. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WMT has been the topic of several analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company restated an "overweight" rating and set a $140.00 price objective (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $135.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, March 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $138.85.

Walmart Trading Down 1.0%

Shares of WMT stock opened at $114.60 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $93.43 and a 1 year high of $135.15. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $125.98 and a two-hundred day moving average of $120.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $913.48 billion, a PE ratio of 40.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.32 and a beta of 0.60.

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, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.61 EPS. 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, research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current 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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