OneAscent Financial Services LLC Acquires Shares of 23,350 Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• OneAscent Financial Services initiated a Walmart position by purchasing 23,350 shares valued at approximately $2.65 million. Institutional investors collectively own 26.76% of the retailer.
• Walmart exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $0.81 versus a $0.74 consensus and revenue of $187.94 billion. However, comparable U.S. sales growth of 2.6% missed estimates, while the stock’s premium valuation remains a concern.
• Wall Street maintains a generally positive outlook, with Walmart holding a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $131.88, above its recent price of $105.38.

OneAscent Financial Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 23,350 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $2,645,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Walmart during the first quarter valued at about $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 57.4% during the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Sankala Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda. bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 1st quarter worth approximately $37,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Performance

Walmart stock opened at $105.38 on Wednesday. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $95.42 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. 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 has a market cap of $838.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.05 and a beta of 0.61. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $112.75 and its 200-day moving average price is $120.93.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business 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. On average, equities research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 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 completion of 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total value of $413,891.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 630,009 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $69,074,186.76. This represents a 0.60% decrease in their position. 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. In the last three months, insiders sold 57,064 shares of company stock worth $6,697,788. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Key Walmart News

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.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $130.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. BTIG Research lowered their target price on Walmart from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Truist Financial set a $114.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $120.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and set a $125.00 price target (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $131.88.

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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