Vertrix Wealth Management LLC Invests $6.50 Million in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Vertrix Wealth Management LLC opened a new position in Walmart during the first quarter, buying 52,310 shares valued at about $6.5 million. The stake now makes Walmart the fund’s 9th-largest holding.
• Wall Street remains broadly positive on Walmart, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $138.85. Several analysts recently reiterated bullish views, though one firm downgraded the stock to hold.
• Walmart’s latest quarter showed solid operating performance, with revenue of $177.75 billion and EPS of $0.66, both in line with or above expectations. However, insiders have sold shares recently, and some investors remain concerned about margin pressure and slowing U.S. comparable sales.

Vertrix Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 52,310 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $6,501,000. Walmart accounts for 2.4% of Vertrix Wealth Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 9th largest position.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. MFA Wealth Services lifted its holdings in Walmart by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. MFA Wealth Services now owns 10,909 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,356,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Realta Investment Advisors increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 2.0% in the first quarter. Realta Investment Advisors now owns 4,089 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $508,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Renaissance Group LLC now owns 9,636 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,074,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. raised its position in shares of Walmart by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. now owns 27,220 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,033,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the period. Finally, Advocacy Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Advocacy Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,392 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $378,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently commented on WMT shares. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, March 6th. Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and set a $135.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Truist Financial set a $140.00 target price on Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Erste Group Bank lowered Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Walmart presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $138.85.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $111.84 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $890.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.24, a PEG ratio of 4.17 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $94.23 and a 12-month high of $135.15. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $122.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $122.07.

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

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.19, for a total value of $342,751.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 574,953 shares in the company, valued at approximately $67,953,695.07. This trade represents a 0.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total value of $1,435,203.96. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,985,527.94. This trade represents a 8.74% 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 104,505 shares of company stock valued at $12,858,514. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is being viewed as a defensive winner in a cautious consumer environment, with commentary pointing to resilient grocery spending, strong omnichannel execution, and growth in advertising and membership revenue as reasons the stock could grind higher. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly constructive on Walmart, and new commentary highlighted strong interest in the company’s Google AI partnership for “agentic shopping,” which could support future digital commerce growth and ecosystem monetization. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity showed bullish positioning, with traders buying far more WMT call options than usual, suggesting some investors are betting on a rebound. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street continues to rate Walmart favorably overall, with several firms reiterating buy-equivalent ratings and an average price target above current levels, though not enough to fully offset recent valuation concerns.
• Negative Sentiment: Investor concern remains over slowing U.S. comparable sales and the company’s reliance on price cuts and tariff refunds to manage inventory, which could pressure margins if the trend continues. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares in a pre-arranged 10b5-1 transaction, a routine filing but still a small negative sentiment item for traders. Article Title

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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