Zevenbergen Capital Investments LLC Makes New Investment in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Zevenbergen Capital Investments initiated a 12,000-share Walmart position worth approximately $1.25 million in the third quarter. Other institutional investors also increased their holdings, with hedge funds and institutions collectively owning 26.76% of Walmart’s stock.
• Walmart reported quarterly EPS of $0.81, beating estimates of $0.74, while revenue rose 5.9% year over year to $187.94 billion. The stock traded around $110.56, up 2.2%, but its roughly 40 P/E ratio highlights elevated valuation risk.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with Walmart carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $131.74, despite several brokerages recently lowering their targets.

Zevenbergen Capital Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 12,000 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,247,000.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Artemis Investment Management LLP grew its position in shares of Walmart by 51.7% during the 3rd quarter. Artemis Investment Management LLP now owns 779,272 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $80,982,000 after purchasing an additional 265,717 shares in the last quarter. Aletheian Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 2.2% during the third quarter. Aletheian Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,186 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $539,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the period. Apeiron RIA LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 129.1% during the third quarter. Apeiron RIA LLC now owns 7,000 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $730,000 after buying an additional 3,945 shares during the period. YHB Investment Advisors Inc. grew its position in Walmart by 3.7% during the third quarter. YHB Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 111,309 shares of the retailer's stock worth $11,567,000 after buying an additional 4,012 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Titleist Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Walmart by 10.9% in the 3rd quarter. Titleist Asset Management LLC now owns 13,239 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,376,000 after acquiring an additional 1,305 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: New California fulfillment hub: Walmart is opening a California facility expected to create approximately 1,000 jobs. The investment could improve regional distribution capacity and support faster delivery, although the direct financial impact was not disclosed. Walmart Stock Gains as New California Hub Creates 1,000 Jobs
• Positive Sentiment: Faster pickup and improved in-store technology: Walmart’s new Express Pickup service promises eligible Walmart+ orders in as little as one hour, while “Shop to Light” helps customers locate products. The features could increase Walmart+ engagement, improve convenience during the holiday season and strengthen competition with Amazon and other e-commerce retailers. Walmart’s One-Hour Express Pickup Push
• Positive Sentiment: Retail-media expansion: Walmart Connect is extending its shopper-data advertising platform across connected TV, streaming audio and other third-party channels through partnerships with Warner Bros. Discovery, Spotify and Yahoo. Broader advertising reach and measurable commerce data could help Walmart grow higher-margin revenue beyond its stores. Walmart’s Shopper Data and Advertising Business
• Neutral Sentiment: AI-agent partnership: Walmart is participating in a proposed protocol from Meta and Sierra that would allow consumers’ AI agents to interact with businesses. The initiative could eventually streamline shopping and customer service, but its commercial benefits and timing remain uncertain. Meta and Sierra Launch AI-Agent Protocol
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation risk: Walmart trades at roughly 39 times earnings, well above the broader S&P 500 multiple, despite latest-quarter revenue growth of 5.9%. Investors may require stronger profit growth from advertising, e-commerce, memberships and other higher-margin businesses to justify the premium. Where Could Walmart’s Next Growth Come From?

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on WMT. Mizuho dropped their price target on Walmart from $130.00 to $125.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, September 29th. Roth Capital reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on shares of Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 21st. Oppenheimer reaffirmed a "market perform" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Walmart has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $131.74.

Walmart Trading Up 2.2%

WMT traded up $2.40 during trading on Thursday, hitting $110.56. 23,620,297 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 25,258,205. The firm has a market capitalization of $877.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.09 and a beta of 0.58. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $98.88 and a 12-month high of $135.15. 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 firm has a 50-day moving average of $108.42 and a 200 day moving average of $116.49.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The company had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.68 EPS. Walmart's revenue 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. Equities research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.65, for a total value of $309,285.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 566,253 shares in the company, valued at $60,390,882.45. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.66, for a total value of $1,399,912.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 647,912 shares in the company, valued at $69,106,293.92. This trade represents a 1.99% decrease in their position. 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 a total of 81,219 shares of company stock valued at $8,604,429 in the last 90 days. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Walmart Profile

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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