Janney Montgomery Scott LLC Acquires 68,632 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its Walmart stake by 2.9% in the first quarter, buying 68,632 more shares and bringing its total holdings to 2,416,580 shares worth about $300.3 million.
• Several other institutional investors also added to or initiated positions in Walmart, while overall institutional ownership remains substantial at 26.76%.
• Walmart’s recent update showed mixed signals: AI assistant Sparky usage doubled and digital basket sizes appear to be growing, but the stock also faces pressure from concerns about rich valuation and recent price weakness.

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 2.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,416,580 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 68,632 shares during the period. Walmart makes up about 0.7% of Janney Montgomery Scott LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest position. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $300,333,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Walmart in the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 57.4% during the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 193.0% during the 4th quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart said usage of its AI assistant Sparky has doubled, and the tool appears to be helping drive larger digital baskets, which supports the company’s omnichannel growth story. Walmart's Sparky Usage Doubles: Is AI Driving Bigger Orders?
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart+ fuel discounts remain a popular membership perk, highlighting continued engagement with the subscription program and potential support for retention and recurring revenue. Walmart+ Executive Says Fuel Discounts Supercharge Member Engagement
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding in-house career pathways to train opticians, a move that could ease labor shortages in its Vision Center and Sam’s Club optical businesses while supporting service expansion. Walmart Expands In-House Career Pathways to Train Opticians
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is drawing elevated investor attention, but the coverage mainly reflects renewed interest rather than a clear new fundamental driver. Walmart Inc. (WMT) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary notes Walmart’s shares are being compared with peers like Costco, underscoring that investors are still debating the best retail valuation and growth mix rather than reacting to a company-specific shock. Walmart vs Costco: This Is The Better Stock To Buy
• Negative Sentiment: One article says Walmart’s valuation remains rich relative to its growth outlook, which may be pressuring the stock as investors question how much upside is left at current levels. Walmart (WMT) Stock Weighs Rich Valuation Against E-Commerce And Store Investment Potential
• Negative Sentiment: The stock also slipped in the latest session despite a broader market uptick, reinforcing near-term selling pressure. Walmart (WMT) Stock Falls Amid Market Uptick: What Investors Need to Know

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $113.26 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $901.33 billion, a PE ratio of 39.74, a PEG ratio of 4.27 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $123.25 and its 200-day moving average price is $122.22. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $94.23 and a twelve month high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.Walmart's revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.61 earnings per share. 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, equities analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.19, for a total transaction of $342,751.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 574,953 shares of the company's stock, valued at $67,953,695.07. This trade represents a 0.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 120,203 shares in the company, valued at $14,300,550.91. The trade was a 8.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 100,730 shares of company stock worth $12,444,624. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WMT has been the subject of several analyst reports. Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, June 8th. BNP Paribas Exane cut their target price on Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Erste Group Bank downgraded Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded Walmart from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $138.85.

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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