Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. Sells 172,545 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. lessened its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 15.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 953,909 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 172,545 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for approximately 1.6% of Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $118,552,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 57.4% during the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC increased its position in shares of Walmart by 193.0% in the fourth quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WMT has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Guggenheim raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $120.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 price target (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and set a $137.00 price objective (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $138.85.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total value of $1,435,203.96. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,985,527.94. The trade was a 8.74% decrease in their position. 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 3,775 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total value of $413,891.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 630,009 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $69,074,186.76. The trade was a 0.60% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 104,505 shares of company stock worth $12,858,514 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

Walmart stock opened at $113.90 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $120.48 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $122.03. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $94.23 and a twelve month high of $135.15. The company has a market capitalization of $906.43 billion, a PE ratio of 39.97, a P/E/G ratio of 4.25 and a beta of 0.60.

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

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is rolling out more wellness benefits at Sam’s Club, including Weight Watchers perks, which could deepen member loyalty, support renewals, and boost recurring membership revenue. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is also getting attention for broad price cuts across groceries and household staples, which should help reinforce its reputation as a defensive, inflation-fighting retailer and drive traffic to stores and clubs. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer said Walmart is one of the “greatest companies on earth” and called the recent pullback an “incredible buying opportunity,” helping support sentiment around the stock. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary around Walmart’s health event and its AI shopping efforts highlights longer-term strategic investments, but these items are more thematic than immediate catalysts for the stock. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage comparing Walmart’s AI shopping race with Amazon underscores competitive pressure in retail tech, but it does not point to any near-term operational setback for Walmart. Article Title

Walmart 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.