Commerce Bank Buys New Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Commerce Bank purchased a new position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 1,230,691 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $139,388,000.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the first quarter worth $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Walmart by 57.4% during the fourth 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 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda. bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 1st quarter valued at $37,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently issued reports on WMT. Mizuho set a $130.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $130.00 price objective (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $130.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a 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, Oppenheimer reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday. 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.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $131.88.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to project upside for WMT, with reports citing consensus price targets of $138.50 and $128.43—well above recent trading levels. Large call-option purchases also suggest some traders are positioning for a rebound. Walmart consensus price target Walmart call options activity
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s digital sales, automation and AI initiatives remain key parts of the growth story. Its Sparky shopping assistant has reportedly produced customer baskets about 40% larger than those of customers shopping without the tool, while Walmart is also exploring advertising and technology opportunities with OpenAI and ChatGPT. Walmart Sparky AI assistant
• Positive Sentiment: The new Scenario women’s fashion brand, with most items priced below $25, could help Walmart attract younger shoppers and expand its apparel business. The company is also increasing rapid-delivery capabilities through Flipkart in India. Walmart launches Scenario fashion brand
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are comparing Walmart’s digital and business-mix expansion with MercadoLibre’s broader ecosystem growth, highlighting Walmart’s improving online opportunity but also the high expectations embedded in its valuation. Walmart versus MercadoLibre growth comparison
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart’s U.S. comparable sales rose 2.6%, below the 3.8% analyst estimate and representing the company’s slowest comparable-sales growth in roughly six years. Higher gasoline prices and broader economic pressure may be making consumers more cautious. Walmart comparable-sales miss
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a concern after Walmart’s substantial five-year gain. Analysts note that the stock trades at a premium relative to peers despite slower store-sales momentum, while Amazon continues to take share of U.S. clothing spending from Walmart. Walmart valuation concerns Amazon clothing share versus Walmart

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total value of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,985,527.94. The trade was a 8.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total transaction of $413,891.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 630,009 shares in the company, valued at $69,074,186.76. This represents a 0.60% 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. Insiders have sold a total of 26,648 shares of company stock valued at $3,085,798 over the last ninety days. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of WMT opened at $104.34 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $830.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.61. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $95.60 and a twelve month 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 0.41. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $112.47 and a 200 day moving average of $120.78.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The company's revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.68 EPS. 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 research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Walmart

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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