Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Sold by Rational Advisors Inc.

Rational Advisors Inc. cut its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 60.4% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 27,294 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 41,599 shares during the quarter. Rational Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $3,091,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp boosted its position in Walmart by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $19,046,104,000 after buying an additional 2,242,364 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Walmart by 6.8% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $11,426,753,000 after acquiring an additional 6,517,394 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the second quarter worth about $7,455,131,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $6,458,529,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,626,852 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,526,238,000 after acquiring an additional 328,229 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Trading Up 1.0%

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $105.92 on Wednesday. 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 business’s 50 day moving average is $111.38 and its two-hundred day moving average is $120.08. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $96.51 and a 52 week high of $135.15. The company has a market cap of $840.34 billion, a PE ratio of 38.24, a P/E/G ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.59.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued 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 the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $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. On average, analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current year.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Opioid lawsuit ends with limited financial impact: Walmart agreed to pay approximately $50 million to resolve a Justice Department lawsuit involving its pharmacies’ opioid-distribution practices. The settlement is described as immaterial relative to Walmart’s profits and substantially below the potentially multibillion-dollar penalties once threatened, reducing a major legal overhang. Walmart escapes major legal penalty for a fraction of the cost
• Positive Sentiment: Marketplace growth remains strong: Walmart’s U.S. marketplace sales reportedly increased 52%, helped by a broader product assortment, increased fulfillment adoption and expansion into Mexico and Canada. Continued marketplace momentum could improve customer engagement and support higher-margin advertising and third-party seller revenue. Walmart’s Marketplace Momentum Builds
• Positive Sentiment: International digital operations are improving: Rising e-commerce penetration and reduced losses in Walmart International are improving the segment’s economics. However, ongoing investment and margin pressure could limit the near-term earnings benefit. Walmart International’s Digital Mix Rises
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst remains bullish: Tigress Financial reaffirmed its “buy” rating and set a $155 price target, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels. SAIC, Walmart And 3 Stocks To Watch
• Neutral Sentiment: Value comparison offers limited direction: Articles comparing Walmart with J. Sainsbury PLC focus on relative valuation rather than a new company-specific catalyst. Walmart’s strong operating profile is balanced by a comparatively elevated earnings multiple, making valuation-sensitive investors more selective. JSAIY vs. WMT: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?
• Negative Sentiment: EPS estimates were trimmed: Erste Group Bank lowered its fiscal 2027 earnings-per-share estimates for Walmart, reinforcing concerns that elevated investment, e-commerce costs or margin pressure could constrain profit growth. FY2027 EPS Estimates for Walmart Cut by Erste Group Bank

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on WMT shares. BNP Paribas Exane restated an “outperform” rating and set a $137.00 price objective (down from $146.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Evercore set a $125.00 target price on Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. BTIG Research decreased their price target on shares of Walmart from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $130.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Freedom Capital raised shares of Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $131.88.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total transaction of $308,386.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 569,153 shares in the company, valued at $60,523,730.02. The trade was a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total transaction of $413,891.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 630,009 shares in the company, valued at $69,074,186.76. This trade represents a 0.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 77,292 shares of company stock worth $8,421,143. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

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.