Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Acquired by Kesler Norman & Wride LLC

Key Points

• Kesler Norman & Wride LLC boosted its Walmart stake by 214.8% in the fourth quarter, buying 52,768 additional shares and bringing its total to 77,336 shares worth about $8.6 million.
• Walmart reported strong quarterly results, with earnings per share of $0.66 matching estimates and revenue of $177.75 billion topping expectations. Revenue rose 7.4% year over year, and the company reaffirmed upbeat guidance for FY 2027.
• Analysts remain generally constructive on the stock, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $138.85. Recent price targets from firms like BTIG, Truist, and Piper Sandler were all above the current share price.

Kesler Norman & Wride LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 214.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 77,336 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 52,768 shares during the period. Walmart makes up 1.5% of Kesler Norman & Wride LLC's holdings, making the stock its 13th biggest position. Kesler Norman & Wride LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $8,616,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Collier Financial purchased a new position in Walmart in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the third quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Walmart by 57.4% in the fourth 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. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $113.06 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $899.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.28 and a beta of 0.59. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $93.43 and a 52-week high of $135.15. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $125.98 and its 200-day simple moving average is $120.81. 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 (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted 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 firm had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 period 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. Equities analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WMT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 18th. Truist Financial set a $140.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $137.00 price objective (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 15th. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $138.85.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart-backed OnePay is looking beyond the retailer’s ecosystem to grow its financial app, which could expand the company’s digital and fintech reach if it attracts more outside users. Walmart-Backed OnePay Looks Beyond Retailer's Ecosystem to Fuel Expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart said its drones have completed more than 1 million deliveries, highlighting continued progress in faster last-mile fulfillment and its push to improve convenience for customers. Walmart Marks Millionth Drone Drop-Off Amid Increased Delivery Focus
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart expanded 30-minute delivery to 33 U.S. markets, reinforcing its e-commerce and grocery delivery advantage versus rivals. Walmart's 30-Minute Delivery Expansion Strengthens Its Retail Edge
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart announced an expanded community initiative in Florida to support first responders and children in crisis, which is positive for brand image but likely limited in direct stock impact. Walmart Helps First Responders Comfort Children in Crisis Across Florida
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage comparing Target and Walmart suggests Walmart remains strong on scale, ads, and higher-income customer gains, but the piece is more of an industry comparison than a new company-specific catalyst. Target vs Walmart: Both Fighting For The Same Customer, Only One Wins
• Negative Sentiment: Recent commentary focused on whether Walmart’s share-price pullback means much of the upside is already priced in, reflecting investor caution after the stock’s recent decline. Is It Time To Reassess Walmart (WMT) After The Recent Share Price Pullback
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Walmart limited employee use of an AI tool may raise concerns about internal policy or operational friction, though the direct financial impact appears modest. Update: Market Chatter: Walmart Limits Staff's Usage of AI Tool After High Demand

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,335 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.63, for a total transaction of $166,381.05. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 636,843 shares in the company, valued at approximately $79,369,743.09. The trade was a 0.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal 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, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total transaction of $2,303,320.08. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,174,579 shares in the company, valued at $495,230,306.77. The trade was a 0.46% 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 a total of 117,008 shares of company stock valued at $14,492,704 in the last ninety days. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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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