HighTower Advisors LLC Has $326.71 Million Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

HighTower Advisors LLC cut its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 2,884,602 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 62,421 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $326,710,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Walmart during the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. Montgomery Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Sankala Group LLC acquired a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC acquired a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $107.14 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $850.02 billion, a PE ratio of 38.68, a P/E/G ratio of 4.09 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $98.88 and a twelve month high of $135.15. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $110.81 and a 200 day simple moving average of $119.52.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.68 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly 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. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP David Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at $14,985,527.94. This represents a 8.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at 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 firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.14, for a total value of $415,303.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 622,349 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $65,433,773.86. This represents a 0.63% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 81,242 shares of company stock valued at $8,836,446 over the last 90 days. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WMT has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Oppenheimer reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on Walmart from $137.00 to $131.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Walmart from $137.00 to $125.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Walmart from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Three 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $131.88.

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.