Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Purchased by HighTower Advisors LLC

Key Points

• HighTower Advisors LLC increased its Walmart stake by 2.5% in the fourth quarter, buying 70,418 more shares and bringing its total to 2.93 million shares valued at about $326.3 million.
• Wall Street remains bullish on Walmart, with 30 Buy or Strong Buy ratings and a consensus price target of $138.88, while several firms recently raised their targets or reiterated positive ratings.
• Walmart’s latest earnings beat expectations, reporting $0.74 EPS on revenue of $190.66 billion, both slightly above estimates, and the stock has been trading near its 52-week high.

HighTower Advisors LLC increased its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 2.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,929,072 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 70,418 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $326,328,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. L.K. Benson & Company P.C. grew its position in Walmart by 9.8% during the 4th quarter. L.K. Benson & Company P.C. now owns 13,420 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,495,000 after purchasing an additional 1,195 shares in the last quarter. Auxano Advisors LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 2.1% in the fourth quarter. Auxano Advisors LLC now owns 7,292 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $812,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. increased its position in Walmart by 8.2% in the 4th quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 201,673 shares of the retailer's stock worth $22,468,000 after purchasing an additional 15,272 shares during the last quarter. Gambit Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $338,000. Finally, Cornerstone Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $443,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on WMT. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $140.00 price objective (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Argus raised Walmart to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. DA Davidson set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $120.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $138.88.

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ WMT opened at $133.34 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $1.06 trillion, a P/E ratio of 48.66, a PEG ratio of 4.85 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $93.43 and a twelve month high of $134.69. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $126.57 and its 200 day simple moving average is $119.46.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The business had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.66 EPS. Walmart's revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a $0.2475 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Walmart's payout ratio is 36.13%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.72, for a total value of $361,688.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 596,008 shares in the company, valued at approximately $74,334,117.76. The trade was a 0.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,250 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.77, for a total value of $167,212.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 635,593 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $85,023,275.61. This trade represents a 0.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 167,190 shares of company stock worth $20,975,838 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s push into AI and automation could support margins over time by improving fulfillment efficiency, boosting order values, and lowering operating costs. Walmart's AI and Automation Push: Long-Term Cost Advantage?
• Positive Sentiment: Investor focus is turning to Walmart’s upcoming earnings report, with analysts watching key operating metrics beyond revenue and EPS for signs that the business is still executing well. Exploring Analyst Estimates for Walmart (WMT) Q1 Earnings, Beyond Revenue and EPS
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart remains a favored defensive retail name as investors compare it with other consumer staples and grocery operators during a volatile market backdrop. Forget Walmart. The Grocer Beating It on Trust and Margin Trades at a Third of the Multiple
• Neutral Sentiment: Several hedge fund filings showed mixed positioning in Walmart, with some managers adding shares and others trimming, which does not clearly change the near-term outlook. Moore Capital Management Boosts Walmart Stake by 3,454 Shares
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,250 shares in a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 transaction, adding a small insider-sale headline that may slightly pressure sentiment. SEC Form 4 filing
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market attention on geopolitical risk, including the Strait of Hormuz closure, may keep investors cautious and can weigh on sentiment even for defensive stocks like Walmart. NVDA, WMT Report This Week, but News on the Strait Is Key

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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