Coastal Bridge Advisors LLC Reduces Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Coastal Bridge Advisors LLC cut its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 14.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 76,394 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 13,188 shares during the quarter. Coastal Bridge Advisors LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $7,873,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of WMT. Traynor Capital Management Inc. raised its position in Walmart by 45.4% during the 3rd quarter. Traynor Capital Management Inc. now owns 32,444 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,344,000 after purchasing an additional 10,134 shares during the last quarter. Rockline Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.4% during the third quarter. Rockline Wealth Management LLC now owns 82,365 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,488,000 after buying an additional 1,170 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 12.4% during the third quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 575,773 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $59,339,000 after acquiring an additional 63,401 shares in the last quarter. Tobias Financial Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 5.0% during the third quarter. Tobias Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 9,927 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,023,000 after acquiring an additional 471 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Truist Financial Corp lifted its stake in Walmart by 0.3% in the third quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 3,803,357 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $391,974,000 after acquiring an additional 10,122 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is accelerating its healthcare strategy by elevating 3,000 pharmacy technician roles and raising average wages (from $22 to $28/hr), positioning the company to grow pharmacy and digital health services — a higher‑margin revenue stream that supports long‑term growth. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s broader tech push (AI, e‑commerce automation and advertising) continues to be a market thesis for higher valuation and margin expansion — analysts highlight rising AI adoption that could boost productivity and profitability. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Brand and customer engagement initiatives (e.g., the Major League Soccer “Walmart Saturday Showdown” sponsorship) support visibility and traffic, helping sustain sales momentum and higher‑income shopper mix. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Leadership change: CEO Doug McMillon’s announced retirement is a material governance event but was expected and managed as a planned transition; investors will watch execution under the new CEO rather than react immediately. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment is generally constructive (some firms reiterate buys), and MarketBeat notes that insider sales amid the leadership handover look like scheduled/diversification transactions rather than a sell signal — but perception varies among investors. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Some quality and reputation studies have criticized Walmart on product/service quality metrics, which could pressure foot traffic or brand perception if amplified. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Notable insider stock sales (covered in media) remain a headline risk — even if sales appear linked to the leadership transition, they can trigger short‑term investor caution. Article Title

Walmart Price Performance

WMT stock opened at $116.57 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.80. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $113.99 and a 200-day moving average price of $105.71. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $79.81 and a 52-week high of $121.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $929.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.76, a PEG ratio of 4.99 and a beta of 0.66.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 20th. The retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.02. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.31% and a net margin of 3.26%.The company had revenue of $179.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $175.15 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.58 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.580-2.630 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel Danker sold 4,365 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.19, for a total value of $524,629.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 238,583 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $28,675,290.77. The trade was a 1.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Donna Morris sold 9,384 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.19, for a total transaction of $1,127,862.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 536,312 shares in the company, valued at approximately $64,459,339.28. This represents a 1.72% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 135,215 shares of company stock worth $15,304,608 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $119.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $125.00 target price (up previously from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and issued a $120.00 target price (up previously from $115.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Thirty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $123.20.

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.