Canandaigua National Trust Co of Florida Acquires New Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Canandaigua National Trust Co of Florida bought a new stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 5,113 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $531,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. MFA Wealth Services boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. MFA Wealth Services now owns 10,909 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,356,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Realta Investment Advisors grew its position in Walmart by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Realta Investment Advisors now owns 4,089 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $508,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Compton Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in Walmart by 4.1% in the 1st quarter. Compton Financial Group LLC now owns 2,081 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $259,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Advocacy Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Walmart by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Advocacy Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,392 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $378,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strait & Sound Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Walmart by 0.3% in the first quarter. Strait & Sound Wealth Management LLC now owns 25,443 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,162,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total value of $5,335,345.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 201,672 shares in the company, valued at $21,246,145.20. The trade was a 20.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.66, for a total transaction of $1,399,912.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 647,912 shares in the company, valued at $69,106,293.92. This trade represents a 1.99% decrease in their position. 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 90 days, insiders sold 81,219 shares of company stock valued at $8,604,429. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Trading Up 0.9%

Shares of WMT traded up $0.96 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $108.16. 16,126,333 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 25,266,242. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $108.55 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $116.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $858.11 billion, a PE ratio of 39.05, a PEG ratio of 4.01 and a beta of 0.58. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $98.88 and a 52 week high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its 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. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The business had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.68 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter 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, analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Retail media expansion could improve margins. Walmart Connect is extending its shopper-data advertising beyond Walmart-owned properties into live television, connected TV, streaming audio and other platforms through partnerships with Warner Bros. Discovery, Spotify and Yahoo. The business reportedly grew 43%, offering a higher-margin growth engine alongside e-commerce, membership and delivery. How Is Walmart Turning Shopper Data Into a Bigger Advertising Business?
• Positive Sentiment: AI partnerships reinforce Walmart’s technology positioning. Walmart is participating in Meta and Sierra’s Personal Agent Protocol, an open standard intended to let consumer AI agents interact directly with businesses. The initiative could help Walmart capture AI-driven shopping and customer-service activity as the technology develops. Meta and Sierra launch protocol for AI agents to interact with businesses
• Positive Sentiment: Options activity signals bullish trader interest. Traders purchased approximately 267,098 WMT call options, nearly double the stock’s average daily call volume. Although options activity is not a fundamental catalyst, it indicates increased short-term optimism. Which Retailers Do AI Agents Cite the Most?
• Neutral Sentiment: Private-label growth has mixed implications. Walmart’s bettergoods brand benefits from consumers seeking lower-cost alternatives to national brands and could support merchandise margins. However, continued price sensitivity may pressure branded suppliers and signals that shoppers remain value-focused. 3 Consumer Stocks Fighting for Shelf Space Against Private Labels
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and macroeconomic risks remain. Walmart trades at a relatively high earnings multiple, leaving the stock vulnerable if interest rates remain elevated or consumer spending weakens. Higher borrowing costs and slower economic growth could weigh on valuation and discretionary purchases, even though Walmart may gain market share as shoppers trade down. America Got Addicted to Cheap Money

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently commented on WMT. UBS Group cut their price target on Walmart from $141.00 to $130.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $125.00 price objective (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded shares of Walmart to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Walmart from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $140.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Three equities 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.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $131.74.

Walmart Company 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.