Patron Partners LLC Buys New Shares in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Patron Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 25,089 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $2,842,000. Walmart makes up about 1.1% of Patron Partners LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest holding.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings 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 valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Sankala Group LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total value of $413,891.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 630,009 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $69,074,186.76. This trade represents a 0.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,985,527.94. This trade represents a 8.74% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 57,064 shares of company stock valued at $6,697,788 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

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.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on WMT shares. Cantor Fitzgerald raised Walmart to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $125.00 target price (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $120.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday. Finally, Mizuho set a $130.00 target price on Walmart in a report on Monday, July 27th. Three investment 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 data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $131.88.

Walmart Trading Down 1.0%

NASDAQ WMT opened at $105.38 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $112.75 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $120.93. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $95.42 and a 12-month high of $135.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The stock has a market cap of $838.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.04, a P/E/G ratio of 4.05 and a beta of 0.61.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The business had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.68 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. 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, analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.

About Walmart

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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