Washington Trust Advisors Inc. Sells 19,468 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Washington Trust Advisors cut its Walmart position by 23.4%, selling 19,468 shares and retaining 63,712 shares valued at approximately $7.2 million. Other institutional investors generally increased their holdings, with institutions owning 26.76% of Walmart.
• Walmart’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with earnings of $0.81 per share and revenue of $187.94 billion, up 5.9% year over year. However, the stock trades at a relatively high P/E ratio of 38.68 and remains below its 52-week high.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $131.88 versus the reported share price of $107.14. Recent insider sales were conducted under prearranged Rule 10b5-1 plans and represented only small reductions in executives’ holdings.

Washington Trust Advisors Inc. cut its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 23.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 63,712 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 19,468 shares during the quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $7,216,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Bell & Brown Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the 2nd quarter worth $6,451,000. Advisortrust Partners LLC increased its stake in Walmart by 20.2% during the 1st quarter. Advisortrust Partners LLC now owns 67,142 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $8,344,000 after purchasing an additional 11,283 shares in the last quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA raised its holdings in 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 buying an additional 275,337 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its holdings in Walmart by 2.9% during the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 2,416,580 shares of the retailer's stock worth $300,333,000 after buying an additional 68,632 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vise Technologies Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 42.1% in the fourth quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 275,341 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $30,676,000 after buying an additional 81,635 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total value of $308,386.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 569,153 shares in the company, valued at $60,523,730.02. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,950 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.14, for a total transaction of $415,303.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 622,349 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $65,433,773.86. The trade was a 0.63% 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 three months, insiders have sold 81,242 shares of company stock valued at $8,836,446. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Walmart Price Performance

WMT opened at $107.14 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The company's 50-day moving average is $110.81 and its 200 day moving average is $119.52. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $98.88 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $850.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.68, a PEG ratio of 4.09 and a beta of 0.59.

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

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Dunkin’ delivery expands Walmart’s digital ecosystem. Walmart’s partnership with Dunkin’ adds restaurant delivery to its three-month-old service, broadening convenience offerings and giving the retailer another opportunity to increase customer engagement, order frequency and delivery revenue while competing with DoorDash and Uber Eats. Walmart Shoppers Can Now Get Dunkin’ Delivered
• Positive Sentiment: Fraud prevention could become an additional retail technology opportunity. Walmart’s work with Amazon on fraud prevention highlights its efforts to protect shoppers and potentially develop technology and services that improve trust, retention and the economics of digital commerce. Amazon and Walmart Turn Fraud Prevention Into a Retail Product
• Neutral Sentiment: Retail comparisons show Walmart remains a key consumer bellwether. Recent large-format retailer results point to a divided, or “K-shaped,” consumer economy: higher-income shoppers continue spending in some discretionary categories, while value-focused consumers face pressure from elevated grocery costs. This creates both traffic opportunities and potential margin challenges for Walmart. Retail Earnings Expose a Bigger Divide in the U.S. Consumer Economy
• Neutral Sentiment: Haleon’s improved shelf placement reinforces Walmart’s importance to suppliers. Better positioning for Haleon brands such as Sensodyne may support product visibility and sales, though the report primarily benefits Haleon and does not materially change Walmart’s financial outlook. Haleon Secures Better Shelf Space at Walmart
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff and margin concerns are weighing on the investment case. Mixed retail results suggest Walmart may face pressure balancing value pricing with higher product costs, while its elevated earnings multiple leaves less room for execution disappointments.
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory scrutiny adds an overhang. The Department of Justice’s investigation into rising beef prices has expanded to Walmart and other retailers. No wrongdoing has been established, but the inquiry creates potential legal, reputational and compliance risks.
• Neutral Sentiment: An executive share sale was limited and prearranged. EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,950 shares worth approximately $415,000 under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, reducing his direct holdings by only 0.63%; the transaction is therefore a weak trading signal. Daniel Bartlett Sells Walmart Shares

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. BNP Paribas Exane reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $137.00 price objective (down from $146.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Truist Financial set a $114.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $130.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Oppenheimer reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $131.88.

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.

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.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source