Strive Financial Group LLC Reduces Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Strive Financial Group LLC lessened its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 47.9% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 11,058 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 10,149 shares during the period. Strive Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $1,252,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the first quarter valued at $29,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 57.4% in the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the period. Sankala Group LLC bought a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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 Activity

In other news, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total transaction of $5,335,345.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 201,672 shares in the company, valued at $21,246,145.20. This trade represents a 20.07% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed 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, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,985,527.94. This trade represents a 8.74% 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. Insiders sold 77,292 shares of company stock worth $8,421,143 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on WMT. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on shares of Walmart from $137.00 to $131.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on shares of Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 21st. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Finally, DA Davidson set a $132.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Three research 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 company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $131.88.

Walmart Price Performance

NASDAQ WMT opened at $103.09 on Monday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $111.90 and its 200-day moving average price is $120.39. 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 52 week low of $95.79 and a 52 week high of $135.15. The company has a market capitalization of $820.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.61.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. The company 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 firm’s revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $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, equities research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.

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.