Corient Private Wealth LLC Increases Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its Walmart stake by 48.8% in the fourth quarter, adding 933,690 shares to bring its total to 2,846,490 shares valued at about $317.1 million.
• Walmart’s latest quarterly results were solid, with earnings per share of $0.66 matching estimates and revenue of $177.75 billion topping expectations, up 7.4% from a year earlier.
• Despite a recent pullback in the stock, Wall Street remains constructive: analysts broadly rate Walmart a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $138.85, though insider selling and near-term margin concerns have added some caution.

Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 48.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,846,490 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 933,690 shares during the quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $317,127,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of WMT. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the third quarter worth about $30,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 57.4% in the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 193.0% in the fourth quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $117.18 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $932.53 billion, a PE ratio of 41.12, a PEG ratio of 4.41 and a beta of 0.59. The stock's fifty day moving average is $124.81 and its 200 day moving average is $122.07. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $94.23 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. 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 (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted 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 net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.61 earnings per share. The business's 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. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary remains broadly supportive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target around $138.85, suggesting Wall Street still sees upside from current levels. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s latest earnings showed solid operating momentum, with revenue topping expectations and sales up 7.4% year over year, reinforcing the company’s defensive growth profile. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles highlighted Walmart’s e-commerce, marketplace and higher-margin digital initiatives as key reasons bulls remain constructive after the stock’s recent pullback. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage comparing Walmart with other retail and wholesale alternatives may be prompting some portfolio rotation, but it does not appear to signal a fundamental change in the business. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart also drew attention for its competition with Amazon in retail data and ad monetization, underscoring a strategic growth area rather than an immediate earnings catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: A recent 9.2% pullback and the stock’s move below key moving averages reflect investor caution about fuel costs, consumer pressure and whether near-term margins can keep pace. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling by EVP Daniel Bartlett, though conducted under a pre-arranged 10b5-1 plan and relatively small versus his holdings, can still add to short-term negative sentiment. Article Title

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total value of $359,368.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 577,853 shares of the company's stock, valued at $71,607,543.76. This represents a 0.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.16, for a total value of $2,391,274.56. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,213,406 shares of the company's stock, valued at $518,923,082.96. This trade represents a 0.46% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 117,246 shares of company stock worth $14,493,147 in the last three months. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $138.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Walmart from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. One 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $138.85.

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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