Huntington National Bank Raises Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Huntington National Bank raised its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 1.5% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 1,735,444 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 24,910 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for about 1.2% of Huntington National Bank’s portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest position. Huntington National Bank’s holdings in Walmart were worth $193,346,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Collier Financial purchased a new position in Walmart in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP purchased a new position in Walmart in the third quarter valued at about $28,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the third quarter valued at about $30,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $118.54 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $126.36 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $120.53. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $93.43 and a 52-week high of $135.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $944.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.59, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.65.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The firm had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.61 earnings per share. Walmart’s revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on WMT. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, May 18th. HSBC downgraded Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and raised their target price for the company from $122.00 to $131.00 in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $120.00 target price on Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Guggenheim raised their target price on Walmart from $120.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and set a $137.00 target price (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Walmart currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.71.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.21, for a total transaction of $2,566,989.36. Following the sale, the director owned 4,193,995 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $554,488,078.95. The trade was a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.77, for a total value of $167,212.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 635,593 shares in the company, valued at approximately $85,023,275.61. The trade was a 0.20% 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. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 106,592 shares of company stock valued at $13,436,513. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target on Walmart to $150 from $145 and kept a Buy rating, citing strong grocery traffic that could support sales momentum. TD Cowen Boosts Target on Walmart (WMT) Amid Strong Grocery Traffic
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s e-commerce business grew 26%, while ads and membership revenue continue to scale, supporting the company’s longer-term profit mix. Target vs. Walmart: Which Retail Stock Is the Better Buy After Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is being added to the Russell 3000 elite/top 10 during the June reconstitution, which is notable for index investors but not a direct fundamental catalyst. Walmart Joins Russell 3000 Elite As Investors Weigh Q1 Shakeup
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart launched a logistics program to streamline distribution and simplify supplier shipments, a cost-efficiency move that could help over time. Walmart Debuts Program to Streamline Distribution Network
• Negative Sentiment: Recent commentary continues to focus on Walmart’s post-earnings slide, with investors worried that fuel and other costs are squeezing margins and overshadowing growth. Walmart Sinks 8.1% Post Q1 Earnings: Exit WMT Stock or Stay Put?
• Negative Sentiment: RBC Capital trimmed its price target to $137 from $140 after Walmart’s in-line quarter and softer-than-expected guidance, reinforcing concerns about near-term earnings momentum. Walmart (WMT) – Among the Top 12 Picks for a Dividend Stock Portfolio For Retirement

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.