Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI Increases Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI increased its Walmart stake by 50.3% in the second quarter, adding 85,459 shares to own 255,387 shares valued at approximately $28.9 million. Institutional investors collectively own 26.76% of Walmart.
• Walmart beat quarterly expectations with adjusted EPS of $0.81 and revenue of $187.94 billion, up 5.9% year over year, driven by strong e-commerce, advertising, and membership growth. However, U.S. comparable sales growth of 2.6% lagged expectations, and third-quarter guidance was below consensus.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $131.88 price target, although several firms recently lowered their targets following the earnings report. Walmart shares opened at $103.70, while the stock’s elevated valuation heightens sensitivity to slower growth.

Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI lifted its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 50.3% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 255,387 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 85,459 shares during the quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI's holdings in Walmart were worth $28,925,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 28.8% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 98,150 shares of the retailer's stock worth $8,868,000 after acquiring an additional 21,939 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 5.8% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,849 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $800,000 after acquiring an additional 485 shares during the last quarter. Peterson Wealth Management raised its position in shares of Walmart by 3.5% during the 1st quarter. Peterson Wealth Management now owns 50,307 shares of the retailer's stock worth $4,416,000 after acquiring an additional 1,715 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 13,008 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,272,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. lifted its stake in Walmart by 1.2% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 91,341 shares of the retailer's stock worth $8,931,000 after purchasing an additional 1,048 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT opened at $103.70 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The firm has a market cap of $825.25 billion, a PE ratio of 37.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.94 and a beta of 0.61. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $113.35 and its 200-day simple moving average is $121.26. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $95.42 and a 12-month high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The business had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $186.64 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.68 earnings per share. The business'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 predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.85 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have commented on WMT shares. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $125.00 price target (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday. Roth Capital reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $113.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $130.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $131.88.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart reported adjusted earnings of $0.81 per share and revenue of $187.94 billion, beating consensus estimates of $0.74 and $186.62 billion, respectively. Revenue increased 5.9% year over year. Walmart earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Growth businesses remain strong: global e-commerce sales rose 23%, advertising revenue increased 38%, and global membership revenue grew 17%. These trends support the long-term investment case despite slower core-store growth. Walmart second-quarter highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart plans to use approximately $2.9 billion in tariff refunds to help lower prices, potentially strengthening its value proposition as consumers become more budget-conscious. The rollout of tap-to-pay, including Apple Pay and Google Pay, may also improve checkout convenience. Walmart tap to pay rollout
• Neutral Sentiment: Several analysts retained bullish ratings—including buy, outperform, and overweight—but lowered price targets after the earnings release. New targets range from $120 to $140, indicating analysts still see meaningful upside but have moderated their expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: U.S. comparable sales grew 2.6%, below expectations near 3.5%, marking Walmart’s weakest domestic comparable-sales growth in more than six years. Analysts cited weakness in health and wellness and questioned the trajectory of the core U.S. business.
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter guidance fell short of consensus: Walmart projected adjusted EPS of $0.62–$0.64 versus $0.68 expected and revenue of $183.1–$184.5 billion versus $188.2 billion expected. The timing of Flipkart’s promotional event is also expected to reduce quarterly sales growth by more than 100 basis points.
• Negative Sentiment: The stock’s elevated valuation increases sensitivity to any slowdown, while higher energy costs and consumer trade-offs are raising broader concerns about the health of U.S. retail spending.

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total transaction of $1,308,670.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 120,203 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. This trade represents a 8.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at $14,985,527.94. This trade represents a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 57,064 shares of company stock worth $6,697,788 over the last quarter. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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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