CHICAGO TRUST Co NA Boosts Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• CHICAGO TRUST Co NA increased its Walmart stake by 62% in the first quarter, buying 15,300 more shares and lifting its holdings to 39,994 shares valued at about $4.97 million.
• Wall Street remains broadly positive on Walmart, with several analysts reiterating buy or outperform ratings and a consensus price target of $138.85, above the current share price.
• Recent company news highlights both support and caution: investors are encouraged by Walmart’s defensive appeal, AI partnership potential, and strong earnings, but concerns remain around slowing U.S. comparable sales and margin pressure from price cuts.

CHICAGO TRUST Co NA grew its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 62.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 39,994 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 15,300 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for approximately 0.8% of CHICAGO TRUST Co NA's portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest holding. CHICAGO TRUST Co NA's holdings in Walmart were worth $4,970,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth approximately $6,458,529,000. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Walmart by 188.1% during the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,199,907,000 after purchasing an additional 7,614,172 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 6.8% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer's stock worth $11,426,753,000 after purchasing an additional 6,517,394 shares during the period. Capital International Investors bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $592,848,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Walmart by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer's stock worth $49,015,626,000 after buying an additional 4,304,436 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. KeyCorp reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 18th. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 target price (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $137.00 price target (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $138.85.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is being viewed as a defensive winner in a cautious consumer environment, with commentary pointing to resilient grocery spending, strong omnichannel execution, and growth in advertising and membership revenue as reasons the stock could grind higher. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly constructive on Walmart, and new commentary highlighted strong interest in the company’s Google AI partnership for “agentic shopping,” which could support future digital commerce growth and ecosystem monetization. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity showed bullish positioning, with traders buying far more WMT call options than usual, suggesting some investors are betting on a rebound. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street continues to rate Walmart favorably overall, with several firms reiterating buy-equivalent ratings and an average price target above current levels, though not enough to fully offset recent valuation concerns.
• Negative Sentiment: Investor concern remains over slowing U.S. comparable sales and the company’s reliance on price cuts and tariff refunds to manage inventory, which could pressure margins if the trend continues. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares in a pre-arranged 10b5-1 transaction, a routine filing but still a small negative sentiment item for traders. Article Title

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on 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 of the company's stock, valued at $14,300,550.91. This trade represents a 8.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.19, for a total transaction of $342,751.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 574,953 shares in the company, valued at $67,953,695.07. The trade was a 0.50% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 104,505 shares of company stock worth $12,858,514 over the last ninety days. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ WMT opened at $111.84 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $94.23 and a 1-year high of $135.15. 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 stock has a 50-day moving average of $122.15 and a 200-day moving average of $122.07. The firm has a market cap of $890.03 billion, a PE ratio of 39.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.17 and a beta of 0.60.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates 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 analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.61 earnings per share. The business'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, sell-side analysts forecast 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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