LaSalle St. Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 14,096 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,597,000.
Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bell & Brown Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the second quarter valued at approximately $6,451,000. Advisortrust Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 20.2% in 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 during the period. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA grew its holdings in Walmart by 253.3% during the 1st 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 in the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its stake in Walmart by 2.9% during the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 2,416,580 shares of the retailer's stock worth $300,333,000 after buying an additional 68,632 shares during the period. Finally, Vise Technologies Inc. lifted its holdings in 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 buying an additional 81,635 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.
Walmart Stock Performance
WMT stock opened at $105.38 on Wednesday. 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 stock's fifty day moving average is $112.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $120.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $838.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.04, a PEG ratio of 4.05 and a beta of 0.61. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $95.42 and a 1 year high of $135.15.
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, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 period in the prior year, the company posted $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. On average, research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current year.
Walmart News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s Sparky AI shopping assistant reportedly generates 40% higher customer spending among users, while the company is also integrating AI into advertising and exploring technology partnerships with OpenAI and ChatGPT. These efforts could lift conversion, basket sizes and future digital-advertising revenue. Walmart Sparky AI article
- Positive Sentiment: The launch of Scenario, a women’s fashion brand with most products priced below $25, is designed to attract younger, trend-conscious shoppers and strengthen Walmart’s position in apparel. Its value pricing may help the retailer compete more directly with Amazon. Walmart Scenario fashion brand article
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts’ consensus price target of approximately $128 remains well above recent trading levels, suggesting some Wall Street analysts view the selloff as excessive. Walmart also exceeded quarterly EPS and revenue expectations and raised its full-year sales-growth outlook to 4%-5%.
- Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is rolling out NFC tap-to-pay across U.S. stores and clubs, improving checkout convenience and aligning with broader mobile-wallet adoption. The change may support engagement but is unlikely to materially alter near-term earnings. Walmart NFC rollout article
- Negative Sentiment: U.S. comparable sales increased only 2.6%, below the 3.8% consensus estimate and representing Walmart’s slowest comparable-sales growth in six years. Higher gasoline prices and broader economic pressure may be making consumers more cautious, despite the earnings beat. Walmart comparable-sales miss article
- Negative Sentiment: Amazon’s share of U.S. clothing spending doubled to 17% in 2025 from 8.5% in 2019, while Walmart’s share edged lower. The widening gap raises concerns about Walmart’s ability to gain share in an important retail category. Amazon and Walmart clothing-share article
- Negative Sentiment: Commentators argue WMT still trades at a premium valuation—roughly 36 times forward earnings—despite decelerating growth and cautious consumer trends. That leaves less room for disappointment and has amplified the post-earnings decline.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In related news, EVP David W. 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 in the company, valued at $14,985,527.94. This represents a 8.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total transaction of $308,386.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 569,153 shares in the company, valued at $60,523,730.02. This trade represents a 0.51% 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 ninety days, insiders have sold 57,064 shares of company stock valued at $6,697,788. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of analysts have recently issued reports on WMT shares. Citigroup dropped their target price on Walmart from $147.00 to $132.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 21st. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. Freedom Capital raised Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Roth Capital reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $125.00 price target (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Walmart currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $131.88.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Walmart
About Walmart
(
Free Report)
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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