Trajan Wealth LLC Invests $24.56 Million in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Trajan Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 216,885 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $24,564,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the 2nd quarter worth about $3,203,000. Veratis Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at about $4,869,000. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at about $616,000. Peak Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Walmart in the 2nd quarter worth about $530,000. Finally, Fiduciary Financial Advisors bought a new position in Walmart in the 2nd quarter worth about $722,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently weighed in on WMT. Guggenheim set a $130.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $125.00 price objective (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Walmart from $137.00 to $125.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 21st. Freedom Broker raised Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, Mizuho set a $130.00 target price on Walmart in a report on Monday, July 27th. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $131.88.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s fiscal second-quarter results showed continued momentum beyond traditional store sales: revenue reached approximately $187.9 billion, global e-commerce grew 23%, and advertising revenue increased 38%. These higher-growth businesses could support future margins and cash flow. Walmart Growth Engine Hums
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary continue to point to Walmart’s expanding e-commerce, digital advertising, memberships, convenience-led fulfillment, automation and AI initiatives as reasons the recent decline could represent a long-term buying opportunity. Walmart’s scale and value-focused pricing remain important competitive advantages. Walmart Continues to Grow Beyond Retail
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart settled a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit alleging that its pharmacies unlawfully contributed to the opioid epidemic. Resolving the case removes an overhang and reduces legal uncertainty, although the financial terms and any broader implications remain important for investors. Walmart Settles U.S. Opioid Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage highlights a potentially tougher consumer environment. Walmart’s comparable sales growth was 3.4% excluding pharmacy-related items, while middle-income shoppers appear increasingly focused on necessities and limiting discretionary purchases. Walmart and Home Depot Results
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are also questioning whether Walmart’s valuation adequately reflects its strong performance. A high earnings multiple, slower core sales growth and the stock’s position below its moving averages have amplified the impact of the recent selloff. Walmart Selloff Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Executive Vice President Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares worth approximately $5.3 million. The sale was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan to cover taxes on vested equity awards, making it a weaker bearish signal than discretionary insider selling. Walmart Insider Trading Filing

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total transaction of $308,386.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 569,153 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $60,523,730.02. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,710 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.10, for a total value of $419,601.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 626,299 shares in the company, valued at $70,834,416.90. This represents a 0.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 77,292 shares of company stock worth $8,421,143 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of WMT opened at $103.09 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $111.90 and a 200-day moving average price of $120.45. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $95.79 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $820.40 billion, a PE ratio of 37.22, a PEG ratio of 3.90 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. Walmart’s revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.68 earnings per share. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.