Wedmont Private Capital Purchases 10,403 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Wedmont Private Capital increased its Walmart position by 12.9% in the third quarter, purchasing 10,403 shares and bringing its holdings to 91,238 shares valued at approximately $10.1 billion.
• Walmart exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.81 in adjusted EPS versus $0.74 expected and $187.94 billion in revenue, up 5.9% year over year.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with Walmart rated “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $131.74, although the stock’s valuation near 40 times earnings remains a concern; insiders sold 81,219 shares worth $8.6 million over the past 90 days.

Wedmont Private Capital grew its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 12.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 91,238 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 10,403 shares during the period. Wedmont Private Capital's holdings in Walmart were worth $10,087,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the 1st quarter worth $29,000. Montgomery Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at about $32,000. Sankala Group LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Copos Capital S.a r.l. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $111.35 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $98.88 and a 12-month high of $135.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $883.42 billion, a PE ratio of 40.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.22 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The stock's fifty day moving average is $108.42 and its 200-day moving average is $116.46.

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, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%. Walmart's revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.68 EPS. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,990 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.41, for a total value of $416,595.90. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 618,359 shares in the company, valued at approximately $64,562,863.19. This represents a 0.64% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Christopher Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.65, for a total transaction of $309,285.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 566,253 shares in the company, valued at approximately $60,390,882.45. The trade was a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 81,219 shares of company stock valued at $8,604,429. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding its Express Pickup service, offering Walmart+ members eligible curbside orders in as little as one hour ahead of the holiday shopping season. The initiative could increase customer engagement, strengthen Walmart’s omnichannel position and support sales growth. Walmart’s One-Hour Express Pickup Push Could Be a Game Changer
• Positive Sentiment: A new California fulfillment and distribution hub is expected to create about 1,000 jobs, expanding Walmart’s logistics capacity and potentially improving delivery efficiency. Walmart Stock Gains as New California Hub Creates 1,000 Jobs
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart reversed a six-bin height limit for in-store online-order carts. The change may improve fulfillment flexibility, although the earlier restriction was introduced to address employee and customer safety concerns. Walmart Reverses Order-Cart Limit
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s market capitalization is close to overtaking a major U.S. bank, making relative market value a short-term trading focus. Investors are awaiting a Tuesday catalyst that could influence the ranking. America’s Biggest Retailer Is About to Pass America’s Biggest Bank
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart’s multibillion-dollar warehouse-automation program is encountering difficulties handling items such as dog food, cardboard boxes and turkeys. Spending is expected to peak this year and next, while delays could postpone labor savings and pressure near-term capital returns. Walmart’s Automation Push Hits Snags
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a concern: Walmart trades near 39–40 times earnings versus roughly 21.5 times for the S&P 500. With recent revenue growth of 5.9%, the premium price leaves limited room for execution missteps or slower profit growth. Where Could Walmart’s Next Growth Come From?

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WMT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Walmart from $141.00 to $130.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 21st. Truist Financial set a $114.00 price target on Walmart and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded shares of Walmart to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. KeyCorp reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, Wolfe Research reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $115.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $131.74.

About Walmart

Walmart Inc NASDAQ: WMT is a multinational retailer that operates supercenters, discount stores, neighborhood markets, warehouse clubs and e-commerce platforms. Its merchandise includes groceries, apparel, electronics, home goods, health and wellness products, household essentials and general merchandise. Walmart also provides services such as grocery pickup and delivery, pharmacy services, financial products and digital advertising.

The company serves customers through its Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam's Club segments.

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