Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Bought by Flputnam Investment Management Co.

Key Points

• Flputnam Investment Management Co. increased its Walmart stake by 57.2% in the fourth quarter, buying 33,901 additional shares and bringing its total to 93,146 shares worth about $10.4 million.
• Walmart reported in-line quarterly EPS of $0.66 and revenue of $177.75 billion, topping estimates and rising 7.4% year over year. The company also guided FY 2027 EPS to 2.750-2.850.
• Analysts remain generally positive, with the stock carrying a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $138.71. Recent commentary highlighted strong grocery traffic and growing e-commerce, ads, and membership revenue, even as some concerns remain about margin pressure.

Flputnam Investment Management Co. boosted its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 57.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 93,146 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 33,901 shares during the period. Flputnam Investment Management Co.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $10,377,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. M3 Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at about $249,000. Terril Brothers Inc. raised its position in shares of Walmart by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Terril Brothers Inc. now owns 7,249 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $808,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Integrity Advisory Solutions LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 7.4% in the fourth quarter. Integrity Advisory Solutions LLC now owns 11,867 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,322,000 after buying an additional 814 shares during the last quarter. Bellwether Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 11.4% in the fourth quarter. Bellwether Advisors LLC now owns 4,007 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $446,000 after buying an additional 409 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arvest Bank Trust Division raised its position in shares of Walmart by 15.3% in the fourth quarter. Arvest Bank Trust Division now owns 453,262 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $50,498,000 after buying an additional 60,304 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of WMT opened at $118.54 on Thursday. 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 Inc. has a 12-month low of $93.43 and a 12-month high of $135.15. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $126.36 and a 200 day moving average price of $120.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $944.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.59, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.65.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The firm had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.61 earnings per share. Walmart's quarterly 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. Sell-side analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently commented on WMT. Tigress Financial set a $150.00 target price on shares of Walmart and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. 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 research report on Friday, May 22nd. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. HSBC lowered shares of Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and upped their price objective for the company from $122.00 to $131.00 in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Guggenheim upped their price objective on shares of Walmart from $120.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $138.71.

Walmart News Roundup

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

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 577,853 shares of the company's stock, valued at $71,607,543.76. This trade represents a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available 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 stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.21, for a total transaction of $2,566,989.36. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,193,995 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $554,488,078.95. This trade represents a 0.46% decrease in their position. 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 have sold a total of 106,592 shares of company stock valued at $13,436,513 over the last quarter. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.