Janney Montgomery Scott LLC Grows Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 2.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,416,580 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 68,632 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for 0.7% of Janney Montgomery Scott LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest position. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $300,333,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at about $6,458,529,000. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Walmart by 188.1% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,199,907,000 after purchasing an additional 7,614,172 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Walmart by 6.8% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $11,426,753,000 after purchasing an additional 6,517,394 shares during the period. Capital International Investors purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $592,848,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $49,015,626,000 after purchasing an additional 4,304,436 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total value of $359,368.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 577,853 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $71,607,543.76. This represents a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total value of $1,308,670.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 120,203 shares in the company, valued at $14,300,550.91. The trade was a 8.38% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 100,730 shares of company stock valued at $12,444,624 in the last three months. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Walmart Trading Down 1.2%

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $113.26 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $94.23 and a 1 year high of $135.15. The firm has a market cap of $901.33 billion, a PE ratio of 39.74, a PEG ratio of 4.27 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $123.25 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $122.22.

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

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart said usage of its AI assistant Sparky has doubled, and the tool appears to be helping drive larger digital baskets, which supports the company’s omnichannel growth story. Walmart’s Sparky Usage Doubles: Is AI Driving Bigger Orders?
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart+ fuel discounts remain a popular membership perk, highlighting continued engagement with the subscription program and potential support for retention and recurring revenue. Walmart+ Executive Says Fuel Discounts Supercharge Member Engagement
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding in-house career pathways to train opticians, a move that could ease labor shortages in its Vision Center and Sam’s Club optical businesses while supporting service expansion. Walmart Expands In-House Career Pathways to Train Opticians
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is drawing elevated investor attention, but the coverage mainly reflects renewed interest rather than a clear new fundamental driver. Walmart Inc. (WMT) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary notes Walmart’s shares are being compared with peers like Costco, underscoring that investors are still debating the best retail valuation and growth mix rather than reacting to a company-specific shock. Walmart vs Costco: This Is The Better Stock To Buy
• Negative Sentiment: One article says Walmart’s valuation remains rich relative to its growth outlook, which may be pressuring the stock as investors question how much upside is left at current levels. Walmart (WMT) Stock Weighs Rich Valuation Against E-Commerce And Store Investment Potential
• Negative Sentiment: The stock also slipped in the latest session despite a broader market uptick, reinforcing near-term selling pressure. Walmart (WMT) Stock Falls Amid Market Uptick: What Investors Need to Know

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently commented on WMT shares. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and set 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 research note on Friday, June 5th. Craig Hallum set a $150.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, March 6th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Tigress Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $155.00 price target (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.85.

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.