WMS Group LLC Takes Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

WMS Group LLC purchased a new position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 5,537 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $688,000. Walmart makes up about 1.0% of WMS Group LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest holding.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vise Technologies Inc. grew its position in Walmart by 42.1% during 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 last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its holdings in Walmart by 2.9% in the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,010,886 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $104,182,000 after buying an additional 28,026 shares during the last quarter. Life Cycle Investment Partners Ltd bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth approximately $40,855,000. Vantus Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,087,000. Finally, Winning Points Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,761,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts said Walmart’s reported deal for Vibe.co strengthens its advertising strategy and could support long-term revenue growth, helping investors see the company as more than just a low-margin retailer. Prediction: Walmart Will Rejoin the $1 Trillion Club by 2027. Here’s Why It’s a Great Buy Now.
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding Shapermint into 1,600 more stores nationwide, adding another growth initiative outside core grocery sales and reinforcing its push into higher-margin apparel and lifestyle categories. Walmart (WMT) Expands Shapermint Into 1,600 More Stores Nationwide
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Walmart’s long-term scale and growth prospects suggests the stock remains attractive for investors who believe its advertising, marketplace, and omnichannel businesses can expand profits over time. Walmart vs. Target: Which Stock Offers Better Long-Term Value?
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles compared Walmart with rivals like Target and Amazon, reflecting investor focus on competitive positioning rather than a clear new catalyst for earnings. Walmart Wants to Turn the Living Room Into a Storefront
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports that Amazon has surpassed Walmart as the largest U.S. retailer by GMV and commentary that Walmart has fallen out of the $1 trillion club may weigh on sentiment, but these were framed more as strategic context than immediate fundamental damage. Amazon Unseats Walmart as Top US Retailer

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $115.69 on Monday. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $94.23 and a twelve month high of $135.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The company’s 50 day moving average is $123.74 and its 200 day moving average is $122.23. The company has a market cap of $920.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.31 and a beta of 0.60.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The firm’s revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm 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. Research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on WMT shares. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 18th. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their target price on Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $137.00 price target (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Tigress Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $155.00 price target (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.85.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,385 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.83, for a total transaction of $165,964.55. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 633,784 shares in the company, valued at $75,946,336.72. The trade was a 0.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total transaction of $1,308,670.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 120,203 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,300,550.91. The trade was a 8.38% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 100,730 shares of company stock valued at $12,444,624 over the last ninety days. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Walmart

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.