Equitable Holdings Inc. Buys Shares of 363,775 Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Equitable Holdings acquired 363,775 Walmart shares in the second quarter, valued at approximately $41.2 million. Hedge funds and institutional investors own 26.76% of Walmart.
• Walmart insiders sold 77,292 shares worth about $8.4 million over the past 90 days, including an EVP’s $5.3 million sale under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan to cover tax obligations.
• Analysts maintain a broadly positive outlook, with Walmart receiving a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and a $131.88 average price target. The company recently beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, reporting $187.94 billion in revenue and 5.9% year-over-year growth.

Equitable Holdings Inc. bought a new position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 363,775 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $41,201,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart in the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Walmart by 57.4% in the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Sankala Group LLC bought a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total transaction of $5,335,345.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 201,672 shares in the company, valued at $21,246,145.20. This represents a 20.07% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total transaction of $413,891.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 630,009 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $69,074,186.76. This trade represents a 0.60% 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 77,292 shares of company stock worth $8,421,143. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WMT has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Freedom Broker upgraded shares of Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Walmart from $147.00 to $132.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Tigress Financial reissued a "buy" rating and set a $155.00 target price (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group restated an "outperform" rating and set a $130.00 target price (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $131.88.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s fiscal second-quarter results showed continued momentum beyond traditional store sales: revenue reached approximately $187.9 billion, global e-commerce grew 23%, and advertising revenue increased 38%. These higher-growth businesses could support future margins and cash flow. Walmart Growth Engine Hums
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary continue to point to Walmart’s expanding e-commerce, digital advertising, memberships, convenience-led fulfillment, automation and AI initiatives as reasons the recent decline could represent a long-term buying opportunity. Walmart’s scale and value-focused pricing remain important competitive advantages. Walmart Continues to Grow Beyond Retail
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart settled a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit alleging that its pharmacies unlawfully contributed to the opioid epidemic. Resolving the case removes an overhang and reduces legal uncertainty, although the financial terms and any broader implications remain important for investors. Walmart Settles U.S. Opioid Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage highlights a potentially tougher consumer environment. Walmart’s comparable sales growth was 3.4% excluding pharmacy-related items, while middle-income shoppers appear increasingly focused on necessities and limiting discretionary purchases. Walmart and Home Depot Results
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are also questioning whether Walmart’s valuation adequately reflects its strong performance. A high earnings multiple, slower core sales growth and the stock’s position below its moving averages have amplified the impact of the recent selloff. Walmart Selloff Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Executive Vice President Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares worth approximately $5.3 million. The sale was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan to cover taxes on vested equity awards, making it a weaker bearish signal than discretionary insider selling. Walmart Insider Trading Filing

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $103.09 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $820.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.22, a PEG ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.61. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $111.90 and a 200 day moving average price of $120.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $95.79 and a twelve month high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The company had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.68 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. Research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart 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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