Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. Grows Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Envestnet Portfolio Solutions increased its Walmart stake by 8.2% in the fourth quarter, ending with 201,673 shares valued at about $22.5 million.
• Several other institutional investors also added to Walmart positions, and the stock is now 26.76% owned by hedge funds and other institutions, signaling continued Wall Street interest.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on Walmart, with a consensus Buy rating and an average price target of $138.88; recent estimates were supported by stronger-than-expected quarterly results and upbeat commentary on AI, automation, and upcoming earnings.

Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. raised its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 8.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 201,673 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 15,272 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $22,468,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of WMT. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in 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 buying an additional 21,939 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 5.8% in the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Peterson Wealth Management boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 3.5% in the first quarter. Peterson Wealth Management now owns 50,307 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $4,416,000 after acquiring an additional 1,715 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.9% during the second 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 during the period. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its holdings 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 in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.21, for a total value of $2,566,989.36. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,193,995 shares in the company, valued at $554,488,078.95. This represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,250 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.77, for a total value of $167,212.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 635,593 shares of the company's stock, valued at $85,023,275.61. This represents a 0.20% 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 167,190 shares of company stock worth $20,975,838. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on WMT shares. KeyCorp restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $145.00 price objective (up from $128.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 target price on Walmart in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Bank of America initiated coverage on Walmart in a report on Friday, February 27th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $150.00 price target for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $140.00 price objective (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $138.88.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s push into AI and automation could support margins over time by improving fulfillment efficiency, boosting order values, and lowering operating costs. Walmart's AI and Automation Push: Long-Term Cost Advantage?
• Positive Sentiment: Investor focus is turning to Walmart’s upcoming earnings report, with analysts watching key operating metrics beyond revenue and EPS for signs that the business is still executing well. Exploring Analyst Estimates for Walmart (WMT) Q1 Earnings, Beyond Revenue and EPS
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart remains a favored defensive retail name as investors compare it with other consumer staples and grocery operators during a volatile market backdrop. Forget Walmart. The Grocer Beating It on Trust and Margin Trades at a Third of the Multiple
• Neutral Sentiment: Several hedge fund filings showed mixed positioning in Walmart, with some managers adding shares and others trimming, which does not clearly change the near-term outlook. Moore Capital Management Boosts Walmart Stake by 3,454 Shares
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,250 shares in a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 transaction, adding a small insider-sale headline that may slightly pressure sentiment. SEC Form 4 filing
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market attention on geopolitical risk, including the Strait of Hormuz closure, may keep investors cautious and can weigh on sentiment even for defensive stocks like Walmart. NVDA, WMT Report This Week, but News on the Strait Is Key

Walmart Price Performance

WMT stock opened at $133.34 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $126.57 and a 200-day moving average of $119.46. The company has a market cap of $1.06 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.66, a PEG ratio of 4.85 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $93.43 and a 12-month high of $134.69.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The company's revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.66 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.2475 per share. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. Walmart's payout ratio is 36.13%.

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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