Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas Boosts Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas increased its Walmart stake by 62.1% in the fourth quarter, adding 283,050 shares to reach 738,924 shares valued at about $82.3 million. Walmart is now the fund’s sixth-largest holding and makes up 4.3% of its portfolio.
• Institutional ownership remains significant, with 26.76% of Walmart shares held by institutions, and several other investors also recently boosted or initiated positions in the retailer.
• Analysts remain generally constructive on Walmart, with an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $138.71, even though some firms trimmed targets after the company’s latest earnings and softer guidance.

Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas lifted its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 62.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 738,924 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 283,050 shares during the quarter. Walmart makes up 4.3% of Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas' portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest position. Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas' holdings in Walmart were worth $82,324,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Fox Run Management L.L.C. bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter worth about $1,709,000. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,010,886 shares of the retailer's stock worth $104,182,000 after buying an additional 28,026 shares during the last quarter. Life Cycle Investment Partners Ltd bought a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at about $40,855,000. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners lifted its position in Walmart by 466.6% in the 3rd quarter. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners now owns 13,343 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,375,000 after purchasing an additional 10,988 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Florida Trust Wealth Management Co lifted its position in Walmart by 7.0% in the 4th quarter. Florida Trust Wealth Management Co now owns 196,648 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $21,909,000 after purchasing an additional 12,794 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total transaction of $2,555,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 486,764 shares in the company, valued at approximately $62,203,571.56. The trade was a 3.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total transaction of $359,368.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 577,853 shares in the company, valued at $71,607,543.76. This trade represents a 0.50% 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. Insiders sold 106,592 shares of company stock worth $13,436,513 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WMT has been the topic of several recent research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $137.00 price objective (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $120.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. HSBC downgraded shares of Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $122.00 to $131.00 in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $140.00 price objective (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $138.71.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target on Walmart to $150 from $145 and kept a Buy rating, citing strong grocery traffic that could support sales momentum. TD Cowen Boosts Target on Walmart (WMT) Amid Strong Grocery Traffic
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s e-commerce business grew 26%, while ads and membership revenue continue to scale, supporting the company’s longer-term profit mix. Target vs. Walmart: Which Retail Stock Is the Better Buy After Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is being added to the Russell 3000 elite/top 10 during the June reconstitution, which is notable for index investors but not a direct fundamental catalyst. Walmart Joins Russell 3000 Elite As Investors Weigh Q1 Shakeup
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart launched a logistics program to streamline distribution and simplify supplier shipments, a cost-efficiency move that could help over time. Walmart Debuts Program to Streamline Distribution Network
• Negative Sentiment: Recent commentary continues to focus on Walmart’s post-earnings slide, with investors worried that fuel and other costs are squeezing margins and overshadowing growth. Walmart Sinks 8.1% Post Q1 Earnings: Exit WMT Stock or Stay Put?
• Negative Sentiment: RBC Capital trimmed its price target to $137 from $140 after Walmart’s in-line quarter and softer-than-expected guidance, reinforcing concerns about near-term earnings momentum. Walmart (WMT) – Among the Top 12 Picks for a Dividend Stock Portfolio For Retirement

Walmart Stock Down 0.0%

WMT stock opened at $118.54 on Thursday. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $93.43 and a 52 week high of $135.15. The company has a market capitalization of $944.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.65. The firm's 50-day moving average is $126.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $120.53. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

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

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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