Walmart Inc. $WMT Position Boosted by Graham Capital Management L.P.

Key Points

• Graham Capital Management boosted its Walmart stake by 327.6% in the fourth quarter, ending with 64,020 shares valued at about $7.1 million.
• Wall Street remains broadly positive on Walmart, with several firms reiterating buy/overweight views and a consensus rating of Moderate Buy; the average target price is $138.85.
• Walmart continues to show solid operating performance, reporting $0.66 EPS on $177.75 billion in quarterly revenue, while recent news highlights growth in advertising and expanded delivery options.

Graham Capital Management L.P. grew its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 327.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 64,020 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 49,048 shares during the period. Graham Capital Management L.P.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $7,132,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC boosted its position 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 purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 193.0% during the 4th quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on WMT. Tigress Financial reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $155.00 target price (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 29th. Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, June 8th. DA Davidson set a $150.00 target price on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $138.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $150.00 target price (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, May 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $138.85.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s advertising business is reportedly surging as marketplace activity, seller spending, and digital engagement boost retail media revenue, reinforcing a fast-growing higher-margin profit stream. Walmart's Advertising Revenues Soar: Is Retail Media Paying Off?
• Positive Sentiment: New delivery options, including Subway meals through Walmart delivery, suggest the company is continuing to expand convenience offerings and deepen customer engagement. Walmart Inc (WMT) Adds Subway Meals Delivery. Get the Bigger Picture
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart was highlighted among the best S&P 500 stocks to buy now according to analysts, signaling continued confidence in its defensive business model and growth profile. Walmart (WMT) – Among the 14 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy Now According to Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings season coverage showed Walmart outperforming many large-format grocery and general merchandise peers, reinforcing relative strength versus competitors. Q1 Earnings Outperformers: Walmart NASDAQ: WMT And The Rest of the Large-format Grocery & General Merchandise Retailer Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles debated whether Walmart’s recent rally is fully justified and whether the stock’s party is over, but these pieces were more commentary than a direct business catalyst. Walmart (WMT) Stock After Recent Retail Sentiment Shifts Is The Rally Justified
• Neutral Sentiment: One executive stock sale and a price-prediction style article could create some headline noise, but they do not appear to materially change the company’s operating outlook. Walmart NASDAQ: WMT EVP Sells $1,435,203.96 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: One article argued another e-commerce and fintech company may be a better buy than Walmart, which could slightly temper enthusiasm at the margin, though it does not alter Walmart’s fundamentals. Forget Walmart: This E-Commerce and Fintech Giant Is Growing 40% YoY and Is a Better Buy

Walmart Stock Performance

WMT stock opened at $121.03 on Wednesday. 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 stock has a market cap of $963.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.47, a P/E/G ratio of 4.51 and a beta of 0.59. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $125.09 and a 200 day simple moving average of $121.96. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $93.62 and a 52 week high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion during 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%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company 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. Research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total transaction of $359,368.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 577,853 shares in the company, valued at approximately $71,607,543.76. This trade represents a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed 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 Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the firm'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 transaction of $1,308,670.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 120,203 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. This represents a 8.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 128,986 shares of company stock valued at $15,927,908 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

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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