Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Sold by Baird Financial Group Inc.

Key Points

• Baird Financial Group reduced its Walmart stake by 4.5% in the second quarter, selling 103,187 shares and retaining 2.19 million shares valued at approximately $247.8 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 26.76% of Walmart.
• Analysts maintain a favorable outlook, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $131.88. Recent targets range from $115 to $155.
• Walmart’s latest quarter exceeded expectations, with adjusted EPS of $0.81 versus $0.74 expected and revenue of $187.94 billion, up 5.9% year over year. The stock opened at $106.05, below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages.

Baird Financial Group Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,187,871 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 103,187 shares during the period. Baird Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $247,798,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of WMT. Bell & Brown Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the second quarter valued at $6,451,000. Advisortrust Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 20.2% during the first quarter. Advisortrust Partners LLC now owns 67,142 shares of the retailer's stock worth $8,344,000 after purchasing an additional 11,283 shares during the last quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA increased its position in shares of Walmart by 253.3% during the first quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 384,034 shares of the retailer's stock worth $47,728,000 after purchasing an additional 275,337 shares in the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 2,416,580 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $300,333,000 after purchasing an additional 68,632 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vise Technologies Inc. boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 42.1% in the 4th quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 275,341 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $30,676,000 after purchasing an additional 81,635 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WMT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Oppenheimer reaffirmed a "market perform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Tigress Financial restated a "buy" rating and set a $155.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, August 31st. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $115.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $126.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Evercore set a $125.00 target price on Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $131.88.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total value of $5,335,345.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 201,672 shares of the company's stock, valued at $21,246,145.20. The trade was a 20.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 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, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,950 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.14, for a total value of $415,303.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 622,349 shares in the company, valued at $65,433,773.86. This represents a 0.63% 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. Insiders sold 69,264 shares of company stock worth $7,401,242 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Down 1.0%

Walmart stock opened at $106.05 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $841.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.09 and a beta of 0.59. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $98.88 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. The stock's fifty day moving average is $110.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $119.22.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The business had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.68 EPS. The business's revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. Analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Opioid settlement removes a major legal overhang. Walmart agreed to pay $50 million to resolve a federal opioid case, substantially less than the potential multibillion-dollar liability discussed by the Justice Department. The relatively modest settlement limits financial and legal uncertainty. Walmart Settles a Potential Multibillion-Dollar Opioid Case for $50 Million
• Positive Sentiment: Artificial intelligence could support operational and sales growth. TD Cowen identified Walmart among the retailers best positioned to benefit as AI improves shopping, merchandising and store operations. The opportunity could strengthen productivity and customer engagement over time. Walmart, Ulta and Other Retailers That Can Win With AI
• Positive Sentiment: Higher-margin advertising remains a growth opportunity. Walmart’s expanding advertising business is improving its sales mix as digital commerce grows, potentially lifting profits faster than revenue. Walmart's Ad Business Expands
• Neutral Sentiment: Defensive characteristics may attract investors ahead of CPI and the Federal Reserve decision. Walmart is being viewed as a relatively stable, consumer-oriented holding during macroeconomic uncertainty, although interest-rate expectations could continue to influence its valuation. 5 Defensive Stocks to Watch as CPI and the Fed Put the Rally to the Test
• Neutral Sentiment: Strong participation by older shoppers in major summer e-commerce events indicates continued consumer traffic for Walmart, but the report also underscores intense competition with Amazon. Boomers Fueled Amazon and Walmart Summer Sales Crowds
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term earnings pressure could temper enthusiasm. Although advertising is high margin, costs associated with Walmart’s Vibe initiatives are expected to weigh on fiscal 2027 profit growth. With the stock’s elevated earnings multiple, investors may demand stronger earnings acceleration. Walmart's Ad Business Expands

Walmart Company Profile

Walmart Inc is a multinational retail and technology company that operates supercenters, discount stores, neighborhood markets, e-commerce platforms and membership warehouse clubs. Its merchandise includes groceries, apparel, electronics, home goods, health and beauty products, general merchandise and other consumer products.

Founded by Sam Walton in 1962 and incorporated in 1969, Walmart is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas. The company serves customers through operations in the United States and international markets, including Mexico, Canada, China, India and several countries in Central America and Africa.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WMT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report).

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.