Field & Main Bank Acquires Shares of 106,407 Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Field & Main Bank acquired 106,407 Walmart shares worth approximately $12.1 million, making Walmart its 10th-largest portfolio holding at roughly 1.9%.
• Analysts remain broadly optimistic, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $131.88; ratings include 32 Buys, three Strong Buys and four Holds.
• Walmart exceeded quarterly expectations with $0.81 EPS versus $0.74 forecast and revenue of $187.94 billion, up 5.9% year over year, although the stock’s premium valuation and lowered future EPS estimates remain concerns.

Field & Main Bank bought a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 106,407 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $12,052,000. Walmart makes up about 1.9% of Field & Main Bank's investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest position.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp lifted its position in Walmart by 1.2% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer's stock worth $19,046,104,000 after purchasing an additional 2,242,364 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Walmart by 6.8% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $11,426,753,000 after buying an additional 6,517,394 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $7,455,131,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $6,458,529,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,626,852 shares of the retailer's stock worth $4,526,238,000 after acquiring an additional 328,229 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WMT has been the topic of several analyst reports. DA Davidson set a $132.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Gordon Haskett cut Walmart from a "buy" rating to an "accumulate" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $113.00 price target on Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $131.88.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart agreed to pay $50 million to settle U.S. Justice Department allegations involving improperly filled opioid prescriptions. Although the settlement carries a financial cost and reputational risk, it is viewed favorably because it resolves litigation that had exposed the company to potentially billions of dollars in civil penalties. Walmart described the payment as immaterial. Walmart escapes major legal penalty for a fraction of the cost
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s U.S. marketplace sales increased 52%, supported by a broader product selection, greater use of fulfillment services and international expansion in Mexico and Canada. Sustaining this momentum could improve e-commerce growth and marketplace profitability. Walmart's Marketplace Momentum Builds
• Positive Sentiment: Tigress Financial reaffirmed its buy rating and set a $155 price target, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels. This reflects confidence in Walmart’s long-term earnings and growth prospects. Benzinga analyst rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary highlights Walmart’s 53-year record of dividend increases and notes that the stock is well below its peak. However, its dividend yield remains relatively low and its valuation is still elevated compared with the broader market. Walmart dividend analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group Bank lowered its fiscal 2027 EPS estimates, signaling expectations for slower earnings growth or increased cost pressure. Walmart’s recent earnings-related share-price weakness also indicates that investors remain sensitive to the company’s premium valuation. FY2027 EPS Estimates for Walmart Cut

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $104.87 on Tuesday. The stock's 50-day moving average is $111.65 and its 200-day moving average is $120.24. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $95.79 and a 1-year high of $135.15. 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 stock has a market cap of $834.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.61.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (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 analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.68 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue 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. Equities research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total value of $308,386.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 569,153 shares in the company, valued at $60,523,730.02. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total value of $413,891.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 630,009 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $69,074,186.76. This represents a 0.60% 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. Insiders sold a total of 77,292 shares of company stock worth $8,421,143 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

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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