Hollencrest Capital Management Purchases 18,811 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Hollencrest Capital Management increased its Walmart stake by 94.4% in Q1, buying 18,811 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 38,733 shares valued at about $4.81 million.
• Wall Street remains broadly bullish on Walmart, with analysts assigning a consensus Moderate Buy rating and an average price target of $138.85.
• Walmart recently posted solid quarterly results, matching EPS estimates at $0.66 and topping revenue expectations with $177.75 billion in sales, though some investors remain cautious about its premium valuation.

Hollencrest Capital Management boosted its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 94.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 38,733 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 18,811 shares during the quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management's holdings in Walmart were worth $4,814,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of WMT. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the first quarter worth approximately $29,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Walmart by 57.4% during the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the period. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC grew its position in Walmart by 193.0% during the fourth quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 193 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Tigress Financial reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $155.00 target price (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $137.00 price objective (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, June 8th. Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, KeyCorp reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $138.85.

Walmart Price Performance

WMT opened at $114.24 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $94.43 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. The firm's fifty day moving average is $118.82 and its 200 day moving average is $122.11. The stock has a market cap of $909.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.26 and a beta of 0.60.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.Walmart's revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.61 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total value of $1,308,670.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 120,203 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. The trade was a 8.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.08, for a total value of $1,628,550.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 661,037 shares of the company's stock, valued at $82,021,470.96. The trade was a 1.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 87,145 shares of company stock valued at $10,691,920. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: June U.S. retail sales held up, suggesting consumers are still spending as Walmart heads into the back-to-school season; that could support traffic and sales volumes if the company remains aggressive on pricing. Retail Sales Hold Up as Walmart and Amazon Go Back to School
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is also being discussed in multiple market and analyst roundups, with commentary focusing on its strong digital growth and role as a defensive stock, but these pieces do not appear to include a major new business update. Walmart Commands a 36.74X Forward P/E: Is the Stock Worth Buying?
• Neutral Sentiment: An article about AI and retail highlighted that Walmart is investing in automation while still emphasizing workers, which reinforces its long-term strategy but is unlikely to move the stock on its own. Walmart's people chief says these 10 jobs are still hot in the age of AI
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts argue Walmart’s premium valuation leaves limited room for disappointment, with one note saying momentum alone may not justify the stock’s high forward P/E. Walmart's Momentum Cannot Justify The Premium
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart has also been the subject of bearish commentary saying the recent sell-off may not be over, adding to investor caution around the shares. Walmart: The Sell-Off Isn't Over Yet (Rating Upgrade)

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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