15,926 Shares in Walmart Inc. $WMT Acquired by North Star Asset Management Inc.

North Star Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 15,926 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,804,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the 1st quarter worth $29,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Walmart by 57.4% in the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Sankala Group LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WMT has been the topic of a number of research reports. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $125.00 price objective (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $126.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Oppenheimer reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Roth Capital reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, BTIG Research decreased their price objective on shares of Walmart from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $131.88.

Key Walmart News

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 Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of WMT stock opened at $104.87 on Tuesday. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $95.79 and a twelve month high of $135.15. The stock has a market cap of $834.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.86, a P/E/G ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.61. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $111.65 and a 200 day moving average of $120.24. 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 (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $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, sell-side analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,710 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.10, for a total transaction of $419,601.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 626,299 shares in the company, valued at approximately $70,834,416.90. This trade represents a 0.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were 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 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. 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. Over the last three months, insiders sold 77,292 shares of company stock valued at $8,421,143. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.