M Holdings Securities Inc. Has $8.82 Million Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

M Holdings Securities Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 232.4% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 79,190 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 55,366 shares during the quarter. M Holdings Securities Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $8,823,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 57.4% during the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the period. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 193.0% during the 4th quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 193 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total transaction of $2,303,320.08. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,174,579 shares in the company, valued at $495,230,306.77. The trade was a 0.46% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,335 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.63, for a total transaction of $166,381.05. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 636,843 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $79,369,743.09. This represents a 0.21% 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 117,008 shares of company stock valued at $14,492,704. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding its drone delivery program with Alphabet’s Wing, adding another fast-delivery capability that could strengthen its e-commerce and convenience moat. Eyes on the sky: Walmart and Alphabet’s Wing expand their drone delivery program
• Positive Sentiment: Business Insider reported that Walmart’s AI-powered warehouses are speeding up freight handling and reducing the time store employees need to unload trucks, a sign that automation is improving efficiency and potentially margins. Walmart’s AI-powered warehouses are slashing the time it takes store employees to unload trucks
• Positive Sentiment: Recent conference appearances suggest management is highlighting Walmart’s growth in digital, e-commerce, and higher-margin services, which may reinforce the long-term bull case for the stock. Walmart Inc. (WMT) Presents at Oppenheimer 26th Annual Consumer Growth and E-Commerce Conference Transcript Walmart Inc. (WMT) Presents at The 6th Annual Evercore Consumer & Retail Conference Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain split on Walmart, indicating the market is still weighing the company’s growth initiatives against its valuation. Analysts Have Conflicting Sentiments on These Consumer Goods Companies: Walmart (WMT), Campbell Soup (CPB) and JM Smucker (SJM)
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage around Walmart’s retail media expansion, Subway integration, and broader digital transformation has raised questions about valuation, but also underscores the company’s push into higher-margin services. Walmart Media Expansion And Delivery Push Raise Questions For WMT Valuation Walmart (WMT) Valuation Check As Subway Integration And Higher Margin Services Draw New Attention Walmart’s No. 2 Ranking Hides a Digital Transformation Story

Walmart Trading Up 1.4%

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $120.59 on Thursday. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $93.43 and a 1-year high of $135.15. The company has a market cap of $959.66 billion, a PE ratio of 42.31, a P/E/G ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The company has a 50-day moving average of $125.43 and a two-hundred day moving average of $121.56.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.61 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently issued reports on WMT. UBS Group set a $141.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 22nd. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price target (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, May 7th. HSBC downgraded shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $122.00 to $131.00 in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $150.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.85.

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.