Hayek Kallen Investment Management Purchases New Shares in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Hayek Kallen Investment Management purchased 117,484 Walmart shares worth approximately $13.3 million, making Walmart its fifth-largest holding and representing about 4% of the fund’s portfolio. Institutional investors collectively own 26.76% of Walmart’s stock.
• Walmart exceeded quarterly expectations with adjusted EPS of $0.81 versus the $0.74 consensus and revenue of $187.94 billion, up 5.9% year over year. E-commerce and advertising growth provided additional momentum, though the stock’s valuation remains elevated.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $131.88 target price versus the reported opening price of $103.09. Recent insider sales were conducted under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans, including a $5.3 million sale by EVP Daniel Danker to cover tax obligations.

Hayek Kallen Investment Management purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 117,484 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $13,306,000. Walmart accounts for approximately 4.0% of Hayek Kallen Investment Management's holdings, making the stock its 5th biggest position.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of WMT. Bell & Brown Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 2nd quarter worth about $6,451,000. Advisortrust Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 20.2% during the first quarter. Advisortrust Partners LLC now owns 67,142 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $8,344,000 after purchasing an additional 11,283 shares in the last quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 253.3% during the first quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 384,034 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $47,728,000 after purchasing an additional 275,337 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 2.9% during the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 2,416,580 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $300,333,000 after purchasing an additional 68,632 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vise Technologies Inc. boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 42.1% in the 4th quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 275,341 shares of the retailer's stock worth $30,676,000 after purchasing an additional 81,635 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart Price Performance

WMT stock opened at $103.09 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The company has a market cap of $820.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.22, a P/E/G ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.61. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $95.79 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. The business's 50-day moving average is $111.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $120.39.

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

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 201,672 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $21,246,145.20. The trade was a 20.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible 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 David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,985,527.94. This trade represents a 8.74% 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 three months, insiders have sold 77,292 shares of company stock worth $8,421,143. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Walmart News Roundup

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have issued reports on WMT. Truist Financial set a $114.00 price objective on Walmart and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Mizuho set a $130.00 price target on Walmart in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Oppenheimer reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $120.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $130.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $131.88.

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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