University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. Boosts Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. increased its Walmart stake by 2,068.7% in the second quarter, adding 40,506 shares to hold 42,464 shares valued at approximately $4.8 million.
• Analysts maintain a broadly positive view, with one Strong Buy, 30 Buy and five Hold ratings; Walmart has a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $138.56.
• Walmart’s latest quarter met EPS expectations and exceeded revenue forecasts, but the stock remains under pressure from fuel costs, operating expenses, valuation concerns and potential comparable-sales weakness.

University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. boosted its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 2,068.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 42,464 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 40,506 shares during the period. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $4,809,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 1st quarter worth $29,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Walmart by 57.4% in 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 period. Sankala Group LLC purchased a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on WMT shares. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and issued a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Weiss Ratings cut Walmart from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price objective (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their target price on shares of Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Evercore restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walmart presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $138.56.

Walmart Stock Down 0.4%

NASDAQ WMT opened at $115.27 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The company has a market capitalization of $917.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.45, a P/E/G ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 0.61. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $95.42 and a one year high of $135.15. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $114.34 and a 200-day moving average price of $121.52.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. Walmart's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous 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. As a group, equities analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s e-commerce business continues to be viewed as a significant growth engine, with its digital capabilities increasingly resembling a broader commerce platform rather than a traditional big-box retailer. Walmart’s E-Commerce Engine Roars
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies said potential tariff refunds could support Walmart’s price-leadership strategy. Reinvesting the money in lower prices could widen its price gap with competitors and help drive market-share gains, particularly in consumables. Walmart set for in-line Q2
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “Outperform” rating, providing some support for the long-term investment case despite near-term sales concerns. RBC Reaffirms Outperform Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is expected to deliver largely in-line second-quarter results. The key catalysts are management’s second-half outlook, tariff-refund treatment and the potential effect on pricing and margins. Walmart Q2 earnings preview
• Neutral Sentiment: The company will release results before the market opens on August 20 and host a conference call with CEO John Furner and CFO John David Rainey. Walmart to Host Second Quarter Earnings Conference Call
• Negative Sentiment: Deutsche Bank expects Walmart to miss second-quarter comparable-sales estimates, while high gasoline prices are pressuring household budgets and raising the retailer’s operating costs. Walmart Seen Missing Comparable Sales Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts have cited elevated fuel costs, rising expenses and valuation concerns as reasons for Walmart’s recent weakness, despite solid revenue growth and e-commerce momentum. Walmart Stock Slides About 12% in 3 Months
• Negative Sentiment: Amazon’s AI-powered Alexa shopping tools could intensify competition for grocery-list creation and digital shopping relationships, areas strategically important to Walmart’s e-commerce growth. Amazon’s Alexa Shopping Strategy

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total value of $2,303,320.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,174,579 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $495,230,306.77. This represents a 0.46% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 70,189 shares of company stock worth $8,377,320. Insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

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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