Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Bought by TOWER TRUST & INVESTMENT Co

Key Points

• TOWER TRUST & INVESTMENT Co increased its Walmart position by 2,743.3% in the third quarter, acquiring 9,382 additional shares and bringing its holdings to 9,724 shares valued at approximately $1.01 million.
• Walmart reported quarterly results above expectations, with EPS of $0.81 versus the $0.74 consensus and revenue of $187.94 billion, up 5.9% year over year.
• Analysts maintain a broadly positive view, with a consensus “Buy” rating and average price target of $132.41, while insiders sold shares through pre-arranged plans primarily to cover tax obligations.

TOWER TRUST & INVESTMENT Co increased its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 2,743.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 9,724 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 9,382 shares during the quarter. TOWER TRUST & INVESTMENT Co's holdings in Walmart were worth $1,010,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bell & Brown Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the second quarter worth $6,451,000. Advisortrust Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Walmart by 20.2% in the first quarter. Advisortrust Partners LLC now owns 67,142 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $8,344,000 after purchasing an additional 11,283 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the second quarter valued at $7,455,131,000. HORAN Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 55.7% during the 1st quarter. HORAN Wealth LLC now owns 81,544 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $9,931,000 after purchasing an additional 29,184 shares during the period. Finally, Park National Corp OH raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 282.9% during the 3rd quarter. Park National Corp OH now owns 119,865 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $12,456,000 after purchasing an additional 88,562 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $121.25 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $961.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.77, a PEG ratio of 4.29 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The business's 50-day moving average price is $109.84 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $118.37. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $98.88 and a twelve month high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%. Walmart's revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.68 earnings per share. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: ETF demand provided support: Walmart recorded approximately $36.2 million in net ETF buying, indicating institutional demand. This follows a prior report that ETFs were net sellers, suggesting flows have been mixed but recently improved. Walmart Sees $36.2 Million in Net ETF Buying
• Positive Sentiment: Healthcare expansion could create a new growth channel: Walmart broadened its Better Care Services platform into a healthcare marketplace that connects customers with third-party providers through its stores and digital channels. The strategy could increase customer engagement and diversify revenue over time. Walmart Launched a Healthcare Services Marketplace
• Positive Sentiment: Value messaging remains a competitive advantage: Walmart lowered the price of its holiday meal basket by $5, reinforcing its affordability strategy and potentially helping it attract budget-conscious shoppers during the important holiday season. Walmart Lowers Holiday Meal Basket by $5
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor debate centers on valuation: Walmart trades at a much higher earnings multiple than Target, Tesco and some other retail alternatives. Analysts note Walmart’s scale and digital ecosystem, but also point to slowing comparable-sales growth and a premium valuation.
• Negative Sentiment: FTC scrutiny creates regulatory risk: The Federal Trade Commission ordered Walmart to provide information about using consumer data to personalize prices and wages. The inquiry could lead to additional compliance costs, reputational pressure or future regulation. FTC Demands Data on Personalized Pricing
• Negative Sentiment: Competition in digital delivery is intensifying: DoorDash’s planned $17 billion acquisition of Instacart strengthens its ability to compete with Amazon and Walmart in online grocery and delivery, potentially increasing pressure on Walmart’s digital growth and margins. DoorDash Makes Instacart Acquisition

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total transaction of $5,335,345.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 201,672 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $21,246,145.20. The trade was a 20.07% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.66, for a total transaction of $1,399,912.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 647,912 shares of the company's stock, valued at $69,106,293.92. This represents a 1.99% 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. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 102,244 shares of company stock worth $11,112,044. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on WMT shares. KeyCorp restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $140.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, October 20th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $120.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Walmart from $147.00 to $132.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-three have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $132.41.

Walmart Profile

Walmart Inc NASDAQ: WMT operates a global retail business through a network of supercenters, supermarkets, discount stores, neighborhood markets, warehouse clubs and e-commerce platforms. Its stores and websites sell a broad assortment of merchandise, including groceries, consumables, health and wellness products, apparel, electronics, home goods, toys and other general merchandise.

The company organizes its operations into Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam's Club U.S. Walmart U.S.

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