Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Sold by Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. lowered its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 25.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 709,760 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 244,149 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for approximately 1.0% of Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest position. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $80,387,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in Walmart by 28.8% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 98,150 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,868,000 after buying an additional 21,939 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 5.8% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,849 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $800,000 after acquiring an additional 485 shares in the last quarter. Peterson Wealth Management grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 3.5% in the 1st quarter. Peterson Wealth Management now owns 50,307 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,416,000 after acquiring an additional 1,715 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 0.9% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 13,008 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,272,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the period. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its position in shares of Walmart by 1.2% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 91,341 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,931,000 after purchasing an additional 1,048 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart agreed to pay $50 million to settle U.S. Justice Department allegations involving improperly filled opioid prescriptions. Although the settlement carries a financial cost and reputational risk, it is viewed favorably because it resolves litigation that had exposed the company to potentially billions of dollars in civil penalties. Walmart described the payment as immaterial. Walmart escapes major legal penalty for a fraction of the cost
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s U.S. marketplace sales increased 52%, supported by a broader product selection, greater use of fulfillment services and international expansion in Mexico and Canada. Sustaining this momentum could improve e-commerce growth and marketplace profitability. Walmart’s Marketplace Momentum Builds
• Positive Sentiment: Tigress Financial reaffirmed its buy rating and set a $155 price target, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels. This reflects confidence in Walmart’s long-term earnings and growth prospects. Benzinga analyst rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary highlights Walmart’s 53-year record of dividend increases and notes that the stock is well below its peak. However, its dividend yield remains relatively low and its valuation is still elevated compared with the broader market. Walmart dividend analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group Bank lowered its fiscal 2027 EPS estimates, signaling expectations for slower earnings growth or increased cost pressure. Walmart’s recent earnings-related share-price weakness also indicates that investors remain sensitive to the company’s premium valuation. FY2027 EPS Estimates for Walmart Cut

Walmart Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $104.87 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $95.79 and a one year high of $135.15. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $111.65 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $120.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $834.56 billion, a PE ratio of 37.86, a PEG ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.61.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $187.94 billion for 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 quarterly revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $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. As a group, analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of Walmart 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 201,672 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,246,145.20. This trade represents a 20.07% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, 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 Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total transaction of $413,891.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 630,009 shares in the company, valued at approximately $69,074,186.76. This represents a 0.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 77,292 shares of company stock valued at $8,421,143. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on WMT shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $130.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Roth Capital reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Walmart from $137.00 to $131.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Tigress Financial restated a “buy” rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday. Finally, Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $115.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $131.88.

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.