Moran Wealth Management LLC Grows Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Moran Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 15.6% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 186,379 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 25,148 shares during the period. Moran Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $21,109,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart in the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC grew its position in 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 purchasing an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Sankala Group LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC acquired a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s history of earnings surprises, along with favorable estimates and other indicators tracked by Zacks, suggests the company could exceed consensus expectations again. Why Walmart Could Beat Earnings Estimates Again
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are highlighting continued e-commerce momentum, improving profit mix and Walmart Connect’s rapidly growing advertising business. Advertising revenue carries higher margins and may help offset price investments, delivery costs and softer store-sales growth. As Retail Stagnates, Ad Dollars Help Walmart Stay the Course
• Positive Sentiment: DA Davidson reaffirmed its buy rating and assigned a $150 price target, indicating substantial potential appreciation if Walmart delivers on its growth and profitability plans. DA Davidson Walmart Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: The upcoming report is viewed as an important read on the U.S. consumer because Walmart serves both value-focused and higher-income shoppers. Its performance could provide broader insight into household spending trends. What Walmart and Target Earnings Could Tell Us About Consumers
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s low-price strategy and thousands of rollbacks may sustain customer traffic, although rising fuel costs are creating pressure for lower-income shoppers. Can Walmart Sustain Growth as Household Budgets Tighten?
• Negative Sentiment: Same-store sales growth has cooled, and investors remain concerned that Walmart’s cautious annual outlook could limit upside. The company is increasingly relying on higher-margin advertising to support profitability as core retail momentum moderates. Walmart Investors Hang Hopes on Retail Media as Sales Cool
• Negative Sentiment: Several previews warn that WMT’s valuation is demanding, while fuel costs, cautious consumers and operating-margin pressure could make it difficult to justify further gains. One report also frames the company’s long dividend-growth streak as potentially vulnerable if earnings and cash flow weaken. Walmart Strong Company but Overvalued Before Earnings

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.19, for a total transaction of $342,751.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 574,953 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $67,953,695.07. This represents a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available 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 the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.10, for a total transaction of $419,601.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 626,299 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $70,834,416.90. This represents a 0.59% decrease in their position. 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 70,189 shares of company stock valued at $8,377,320 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $115.20 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $114.15 and its 200 day moving average price is $121.52. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $95.42 and a 1 year high of $135.15. The company has a market capitalization of $916.77 billion, a PE ratio of 40.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The business had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $174.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.61 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WMT has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $142.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Freedom Capital raised shares of Walmart from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, May 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.50.

Walmart Company 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.