Whalen Wealth Management Inc. Acquires Shares of 36,477 Walmart Inc. $WMT

Whalen Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 36,477 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $4,131,000. Walmart comprises about 1.9% of Whalen Wealth Management Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 9th largest holding.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Dearborn Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the second quarter valued at about $32,099,000. Trail Ridge Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the second quarter valued at approximately $403,000. Ames National Corp bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the second quarter valued at approximately $882,000. D.B. Root & Company LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $3,445,000. Finally, Flavin Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in Walmart in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $5,185,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of WMT stock opened at $103.09 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $95.79 and a 52-week high of $135.15. The company has a market capitalization of $820.40 billion, a PE ratio of 37.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.90 and a beta of 0.61. The business’s fifty day moving average is $111.90 and its 200 day moving average is $120.45.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The company had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.68 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. 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, equities research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,985,527.94. The trade was a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total transaction of $308,386.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 569,153 shares in the company, valued at approximately $60,523,730.02. This trade represents a 0.51% 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. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 77,292 shares of company stock worth $8,421,143. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WMT has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded Walmart from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Tigress Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $155.00 price target (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Evercore set a $125.00 price objective on Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Oppenheimer reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $125.00 price target (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Three research 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 MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price 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.