Ruggaard & Associates LLC Takes $883,000 Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Ruggaard & Associates LLC purchased a new position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 7,795 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $883,000.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Equitable Holdings Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the second quarter worth $41,201,000. Centaurus Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 2nd quarter valued at about $11,892,000. FSA Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the second quarter valued at $480,000. Harvey Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the second quarter valued at $2,479,000. Finally, Coastal Bridge Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Walmart in the 2nd quarter worth about $4,108,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total value of $308,386.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly 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 document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total value of $5,335,345.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 201,672 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,246,145.20. This represents a 20.07% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 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. Insiders sold a total of 77,292 shares of company stock valued at $8,421,143 in the last 90 days. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WMT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. KeyCorp restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Walmart from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Tigress Financial reissued a “buy” rating and set a $155.00 price target (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Roth Capital reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Three investment 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $131.88.

Walmart News Roundup

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

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $103.09 on Monday. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $95.79 and a 12-month high of $135.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $820.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $111.90 and a 200 day moving average of $120.39.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $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. On average, research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current 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.