Cerity Partners LLC Has $353.38 Million Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Cerity Partners LLC increased its Walmart stake by 5.3% in the fourth quarter, holding 3.17 million shares valued at about $353.4 million.
• Walmart reported strong quarterly results, with revenue of $177.75 billion and EPS of $0.66, both in line with or above expectations. Revenue rose 7.4% year over year, and the company reiterated forward guidance.
• Recent news highlights support the bullish case for Walmart, including 26% e-commerce growth and expanding high-margin opportunities through Walmart Connect and potential restaurant partnerships, though analysts still note pricing pressure and tariff-related margin risks.

Cerity Partners LLC raised its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 5.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 3,171,875 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 160,667 shares during the quarter. Cerity Partners LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $353,381,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC lifted 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 acquiring an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 193.0% in the 4th quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 193 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $119.83 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $953.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.05, a P/E/G ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $93.43 and a 12-month high of $135.15. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $125.57 and a 200 day simple moving average of $121.33.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The business 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%.Walmart's revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $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. Analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: RBC said Walmart could gain a competitive edge through partnerships with quick-service restaurants, which could help drive more traffic, broaden customer engagement, and strengthen its ecosystem. Walmart Poised to Gain Competitive Advantage Through Quick Service Restaurant Partnerships, RBC Says
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s e-commerce sales rose 26% in Q1 fiscal 2027, with growth coming from store pickup, delivery, and marketplace expansion, reinforcing the view that its digital business is becoming a bigger profit driver. Walmart's E-commerce Improves 26%: Is Margin Expansion Next?
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart Connect is opening new off-site advertising opportunities, expanding a high-margin revenue stream that can lift profitability faster than traditional retail sales. Walmart (WMT) Opens New Opportunities For Advertisers Beyond Its Own Platform
• Positive Sentiment: RBC also said Walmart remains confident in its competitive positioning despite pricing pressure, suggesting it can defend share even if inflation or tariffs squeeze consumers. Walmart Confident in Competitive Positioning Amid Pricing Pressure, RBC Capital Markets Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Oppenheimer said Walmart continues to project an upbeat management tone and stay focused on value, reinforcing a steady long-term narrative rather than a major new catalyst. Walmart Maintains Upbeat Tone, Reinforces Value Strategy, Oppenheimer Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles noted Walmart is attracting unusual investor attention, but these pieces were mostly commentary and screening updates rather than fresh fundamental news. Walmart Inc. (WMT) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s increased use of AI, employee messaging around AI-related job concerns, and philanthropic disaster-response spending support the company’s strategic and brand image, but are not likely to move the stock much on their own.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts also flagged pricing pressure and tariff-related cost uncertainty, which could weigh on margins and explain some of the recent pullback in the shares.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.96, for a total transaction of $1,600,725.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 687,287 shares of the company's stock, valued at $83,821,522.52. This trade represents a 1.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $495,230,306.77. This represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 117,008 shares of company stock worth $14,492,704 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WMT has been the subject of a number of research reports. Truist Financial set a $140.00 price target on Walmart in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Roth Mkm reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $138.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 price target on Walmart in a research note on Friday, March 6th. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $150.00 price target (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Erste Group Bank cut Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $138.85.

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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