Cornerstone Planning LLC Makes New Investment in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Cornerstone Planning LLC opened a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter, buying 53,566 shares worth about $5.99 million. The stake makes Walmart about 1.3% of the firm’s portfolio.
• Other institutional investors also added to or initiated positions in WMT, and 26.76% of Walmart’s stock is held by hedge funds and other institutions. Meanwhile, insiders have been selling shares, with EVP Daniel J. Bartlett and EVP David W. Guggina both making recent sales under Rule 10b5-1 plans.
• Analysts remain generally positive on Walmart, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.85. The company recently reported quarterly EPS of $0.66, matching expectations, while revenue of $177.75 billion topped estimates.

Cornerstone Planning LLC acquired a new position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 53,566 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $5,991,000. Walmart accounts for approximately 1.3% of Cornerstone Planning LLC's holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC boosted 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 purchasing an additional 105 shares during the period. Clayton Financial Group LLC boosted 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 purchasing an additional 193 shares during the period. Finally, Sankala Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $33,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,385 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.83, for a total value of $165,964.55. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 633,784 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $75,946,336.72. The trade was a 0.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly 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 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. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 117,246 shares of company stock valued at $14,493,147. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on WMT shares. Tigress Financial restated a "buy" rating and set a $155.00 price objective (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 18th. KeyCorp reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 22nd. UBS Group set a $141.00 price objective on Walmart and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Craig Hallum set a $150.00 price objective on Walmart in a research report on Friday, March 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $138.85.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $117.18 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $124.61 and a 200 day moving average price of $122.11. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $94.23 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. The firm has a market cap of $932.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.12, a P/E/G ratio of 4.37 and a beta of 0.60.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. Walmart's revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $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. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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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