Heartland Bank & Trust Co Acquires Shares of 19,989 Walmart Inc. $WMT

Heartland Bank & Trust Co bought a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund bought 19,989 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $2,264,000.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of WMT. M1 Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the second quarter valued at about $1,169,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. acquired a new position in Walmart during the second quarter worth about $145,000. Pinnacle West Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 2nd quarter valued at about $3,392,000. Ieq Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 2nd quarter valued at about $77,140,000. Finally, Burnham & Co LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at about $903,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on WMT shares. Freedom Broker upgraded Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $113.00 price objective on Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. UBS Group cut their target price on Walmart from $141.00 to $130.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $131.88.

Walmart Trading Down 1.0%

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $104.34 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $830.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.67, a PEG ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.61. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $95.60 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. 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 50 day moving average of $112.47 and a 200 day moving average of $120.78.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The company had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $186.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.68 earnings per share. The firm’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. As a group, research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total value of $308,386.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 569,153 shares in the company, valued at approximately $60,523,730.02. The trade was a 0.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at $14,985,527.94. The trade was 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. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 26,648 shares of company stock worth $3,085,798. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to project upside for WMT, with reports citing consensus price targets of $138.50 and $128.43—well above recent trading levels. Large call-option purchases also suggest some traders are positioning for a rebound. Walmart consensus price target Walmart call options activity
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s digital sales, automation and AI initiatives remain key parts of the growth story. Its Sparky shopping assistant has reportedly produced customer baskets about 40% larger than those of customers shopping without the tool, while Walmart is also exploring advertising and technology opportunities with OpenAI and ChatGPT. Walmart Sparky AI assistant
• Positive Sentiment: The new Scenario women’s fashion brand, with most items priced below $25, could help Walmart attract younger shoppers and expand its apparel business. The company is also increasing rapid-delivery capabilities through Flipkart in India. Walmart launches Scenario fashion brand
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are comparing Walmart’s digital and business-mix expansion with MercadoLibre’s broader ecosystem growth, highlighting Walmart’s improving online opportunity but also the high expectations embedded in its valuation. Walmart versus MercadoLibre growth comparison
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart’s U.S. comparable sales rose 2.6%, below the 3.8% analyst estimate and representing the company’s slowest comparable-sales growth in roughly six years. Higher gasoline prices and broader economic pressure may be making consumers more cautious. Walmart comparable-sales miss
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a concern after Walmart’s substantial five-year gain. Analysts note that the stock trades at a premium relative to peers despite slower store-sales momentum, while Amazon continues to take share of U.S. clothing spending from Walmart. Walmart valuation concerns Amazon clothing share versus Walmart

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.