Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Purchased by Wealthfront Advisers LLC

Key Points

• Wealthfront Advisers LLC increased its Walmart stake by 8.6% in the first quarter, buying 50,722 additional shares and bringing its position to 641,515 shares worth about $79.7 million.
• Wall Street remains broadly bullish on Walmart, with analysts citing a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $138.85, though a few firms have recently downgraded or lowered targets.
• Recent fundamentals and shareholder returns look solid: Walmart reported Q1 EPS of $0.66 on revenue of $177.75 billion, and the company also announced its 53rd dividend increase, reinforcing its reputation as a reliable income stock.

Wealthfront Advisers LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 8.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 641,515 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 50,722 shares during the quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $79,727,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of WMT. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the first quarter worth approximately $29,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 57.4% in the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 193.0% in the 4th quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wolfe Research reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $137.00 target price (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Walmart from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Tigress Financial reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $155.00 price objective (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $138.85.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total value of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,985,527.94. This trade represents a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total value of $413,891.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 630,009 shares of the company's stock, valued at $69,074,186.76. The trade was a 0.60% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 87,145 shares of company stock valued at $10,691,920. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $112.53 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $895.52 billion, a PE ratio of 39.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.24 and a beta of 0.60. 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 Inc. has a 52 week low of $94.43 and a 52 week high of $135.15. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $119.44 and its 200-day simple moving average is $122.08.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.61 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. 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 forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart, General Mills, and ADM announced a collaboration to expand regenerative agriculture across 40,000 Midwest wheat acres, a move that supports the company’s sustainability goals and could strengthen supplier relationships over time. General Mills, ADM, Walmart Partner to Accelerate Regenerative Agriculture Across 40,000 Midwest Wheat Acres
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart highlighted its back-to-school push, emphasizing low prices, convenience, and style, which could support near-term traffic and seasonal sales as families shop for the new school year. Walmart Helps Americans Navigate Their Annual Back-to-School Reset with Unmatched Value, Convenience and Style
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart declared its 53rd dividend increase, reinforcing its reputation as a dependable income stock and signaling management confidence in cash generation. Walmart just declared its 53rd dividend increase
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage comparing Walmart with Johnson & Johnson framed both as defensive names with different strategies, but it did not introduce a clear new catalyst for WMT shares. Walmart vs Johnson & Johnson: Two Defensive Plays, Diverging Strategies and One Winner
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media pieces again raised valuation concerns, noting Walmart’s high earnings multiple and suggesting the stock may be expensive after a strong multi-year run, which can cap upside even if fundamentals remain solid. Walmart (WMT) Stock Could Be 16% Overvalued Following Dividend Hike
• Negative Sentiment: A Zacks note said Walmart stock sank while the broader market gained, pointing to relative weakness and reinforcing investor concern that the shares may be losing momentum. Walmart (WMT) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: Here's Why
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive commentary from Jefferies favoring Amazon as a cheaper way to gain exposure to AI infrastructure and retail may pressure Walmart by reminding investors of stronger alternatives in retail-related exposure. AMZN Stock Is Cheaper Than WMT And GOOGL
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that some Spark delivery workers are frustrated by a new app feature could indicate operational friction in Walmart’s delivery network, though the financial impact is unclear for now. Walmart delivery workers say a new app feature is sending them running around stores

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.

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