Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Purchased by Huntington National Bank

Key Points

• Huntington National Bank increased its Walmart stake by 1.5% in the fourth quarter, buying 24,910 additional shares and bringing its total to 1,735,444 shares valued at about $193.3 million.
• Walmart recently reported better-than-expected revenue of $177.75 billion and matched earnings estimates at $0.66 per share, with sales up 7.4% year over year.
• Analysts remain mostly bullish on the stock, with several firms raising or maintaining positive ratings and a consensus Moderate Buy target price of $138.71, though some recent commentary has highlighted margin pressure and softer guidance concerns.

Huntington National Bank increased its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 1.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,735,444 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 24,910 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for 1.2% of Huntington National Bank's holdings, making the stock its 16th largest holding. Huntington National Bank's holdings in Walmart were worth $193,346,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of WMT. Fox Run Management L.L.C. acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,709,000. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,010,886 shares of the retailer's stock worth $104,182,000 after acquiring an additional 28,026 shares in the last quarter. Life Cycle Investment Partners Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $40,855,000. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 466.6% during the 3rd quarter. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners now owns 13,343 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,375,000 after acquiring an additional 10,988 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Florida Trust Wealth Management Co boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 7.0% during the 4th quarter. Florida Trust Wealth Management Co now owns 196,648 shares of the retailer's stock worth $21,909,000 after acquiring an additional 12,794 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ 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. The business's 50 day moving average is $126.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $120.53. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $93.43 and a 12-month high of $135.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $944.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.59, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.65.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.66. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The company had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.61 EPS. The firm'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. Research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WMT has been the subject of several analyst reports. Erste Group Bank raised Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Raymond James Financial reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $135.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, March 6th. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their target price on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, HSBC downgraded Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and boosted their target price for the company from $122.00 to $131.00 in a report on Friday, February 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $138.71.

Walmart News Summary

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walmart news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.08, for a total transaction of $1,628,550.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 661,037 shares in the company, valued at approximately $82,021,470.96. This represents a 1.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 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 on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.21, for a total value of $2,566,989.36. Following the sale, the director owned 4,193,995 shares in the company, 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. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 106,592 shares of company stock worth $13,436,513. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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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