HighTower Advisors LLC Has $326.71 Million Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• HighTower Advisors reduced its Walmart position by 2.1% in the second quarter, selling 62,421 shares and retaining 2.88 million shares valued at approximately $326.7 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 26.76% of Walmart.
• Walmart exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.81 in EPS and $187.94 billion in revenue, with revenue up 5.9% year over year. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $131.88.
• The investment case faces tariff, margin and regulatory risks, including scrutiny related to rising beef prices, while Walmart continues expanding its digital ecosystem through Dunkin’ delivery and fraud-prevention initiatives.

HighTower Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 2.1% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,884,602 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 62,421 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $326,710,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of WMT. MFA Wealth Services grew its position in shares of Walmart by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. MFA Wealth Services now owns 10,909 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,356,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Realta Investment Advisors raised its position in shares of Walmart by 2.0% in the first quarter. Realta Investment Advisors now owns 4,089 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $508,000 after buying an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Compton Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 4.1% in the first quarter. Compton Financial Group LLC now owns 2,081 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $259,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. Renaissance Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Renaissance Group LLC now owns 9,636 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,074,000 after buying an additional 83 shares during the period. Finally, Calton & Associates Inc. grew its position in Walmart by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. now owns 27,220 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,033,000 after buying an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Dunkin’ delivery expands Walmart’s digital ecosystem. Walmart’s partnership with Dunkin’ adds restaurant delivery to its three-month-old service, broadening convenience offerings and giving the retailer another opportunity to increase customer engagement, order frequency and delivery revenue while competing with DoorDash and Uber Eats. Walmart Shoppers Can Now Get Dunkin’ Delivered
• Positive Sentiment: Fraud prevention could become an additional retail technology opportunity. Walmart’s work with Amazon on fraud prevention highlights its efforts to protect shoppers and potentially develop technology and services that improve trust, retention and the economics of digital commerce. Amazon and Walmart Turn Fraud Prevention Into a Retail Product
• Neutral Sentiment: Retail comparisons show Walmart remains a key consumer bellwether. Recent large-format retailer results point to a divided, or “K-shaped,” consumer economy: higher-income shoppers continue spending in some discretionary categories, while value-focused consumers face pressure from elevated grocery costs. This creates both traffic opportunities and potential margin challenges for Walmart. Retail Earnings Expose a Bigger Divide in the U.S. Consumer Economy
• Neutral Sentiment: Haleon’s improved shelf placement reinforces Walmart’s importance to suppliers. Better positioning for Haleon brands such as Sensodyne may support product visibility and sales, though the report primarily benefits Haleon and does not materially change Walmart’s financial outlook. Haleon Secures Better Shelf Space at Walmart
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff and margin concerns are weighing on the investment case. Mixed retail results suggest Walmart may face pressure balancing value pricing with higher product costs, while its elevated earnings multiple leaves less room for execution disappointments.
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory scrutiny adds an overhang. The Department of Justice’s investigation into rising beef prices has expanded to Walmart and other retailers. No wrongdoing has been established, but the inquiry creates potential legal, reputational and compliance risks.
• Neutral Sentiment: An executive share sale was limited and prearranged. EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,950 shares worth approximately $415,000 under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, reducing his direct holdings by only 0.63%; the transaction is therefore a weak trading signal. Daniel Bartlett Sells Walmart Shares

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on WMT. Oppenheimer reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. BNP Paribas Exane restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $137.00 price target (down from $146.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $125.00 price target (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Freedom Broker upgraded shares of Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, Freedom Capital raised shares of Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Three 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. According to MarketBeat, Walmart has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $131.88.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT opened at $107.14 on Monday. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $98.88 and a 52-week high of $135.15. The business's fifty day moving average is $110.81 and its 200-day moving average is $119.52. 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 firm has a market cap of $850.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.68, a PEG ratio of 4.09 and a beta of 0.59.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $187.94 billion during 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%.Walmart's revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.68 EPS. 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 analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP David Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,985,527.94. This represents a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the firm's 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 in the company, valued at approximately $21,246,145.20. The trade was a 20.07% 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. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 81,242 shares of company stock worth $8,836,446 in 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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