Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Sold by Janney Montgomery Scott LLC

Key Points

• Janney Montgomery Scott reduced its Walmart stake by 3.0% in the second quarter, selling 71,434 shares and retaining 2.35 million shares valued at approximately $265.6 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 26.76% of Walmart.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with one Strong Buy, 30 Buy and five Hold ratings; Walmart has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $138.50.
• Walmart’s latest quarterly revenue rose 7.4% year over year to $177.75 billion, while EPS matched estimates at $0.66. However, higher fuel costs, cautious guidance, elevated valuation and potentially slower comparable-sales growth could pressure the stock.

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC trimmed its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 3.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,345,146 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 71,434 shares during the quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $265,611,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 28.8% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 98,150 shares of the retailer's stock worth $8,868,000 after buying an additional 21,939 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 5.8% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,849 shares of the retailer's stock worth $800,000 after buying an additional 485 shares in the last quarter. Peterson Wealth Management lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 3.5% in the first quarter. Peterson Wealth Management now owns 50,307 shares of the retailer's stock worth $4,416,000 after buying an additional 1,715 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.9% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 13,008 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,272,000 after buying an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted its position in Walmart by 1.2% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 91,341 shares of the retailer's stock worth $8,931,000 after acquiring an additional 1,048 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Erste Group Bank cut shares of Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $137.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. KeyCorp restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $135.00 price objective (down from $137.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $138.50.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total value of $2,303,320.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,174,579 shares in the company, valued at approximately $495,230,306.77. This represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale 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. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total value of $1,308,670.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 120,203 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. This trade represents a 8.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 70,189 shares of company stock valued at $8,377,320 in the last ninety days. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: DA Davidson reaffirmed its Buy rating and set a $150 price target, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels. The bullish view supports the stock by pointing to Walmart’s defensive business model and continued customer traffic. Benzinga analyst rating report
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts say Walmart has not yet seen a major change in shopping behavior despite gasoline prices rising above $4 per gallon. The retailer is also gaining share among higher-income customers, which could help offset pressure on lower-income households. TheStreet gas price and Walmart shoppers article
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart leads a closely watched retail earnings week. Its results, along with reports from Target, Home Depot and Lowe’s, are expected to provide fresh evidence about consumer health, promotional activity and the effects of inflation and fuel costs. Yahoo Finance consumer landscape preview
• Negative Sentiment: Investor expectations appear cautious ahead of earnings. Oppenheimer downgraded Walmart to Perform and reportedly expects U.S. comparable sales growth of about 3%, below the roughly 3.8% consensus, with slower General Merchandise and Health & Wellness growth. Seeking Alpha Walmart earnings preview
• Negative Sentiment: Higher fuel prices could eventually squeeze discretionary spending among Walmart’s lower-income customers. Analysts also cite cautious guidance, elevated costs and a demanding valuation as reasons the stock may remain vulnerable if quarterly results or the outlook disappoint. Walmart’s previously reaffirmed fiscal 2027 guidance calls for 3.5%–4.5% net sales growth and adjusted EPS of $2.75–$2.85, rather than an upgrade. Seeking Alpha Walmart earnings setup

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of WMT stock opened at $114.33 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The firm's 50-day moving average is $114.23 and its two-hundred day moving average is $121.53. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $95.42 and a 12 month high of $135.15. The company has a market capitalization of $909.85 billion, a PE ratio of 40.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 0.61.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.61 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. Analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.88 earnings per share for the current year.

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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