Walmart Inc. $WMT Stock: Financial & Tax Architects LLC Increases Holdings

Financial & Tax Architects LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 8.9% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 76,784 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,272 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for 1.7% of Financial & Tax Architects LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest holding. Financial & Tax Architects LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $7,979,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of WMT. Fortitude Advisory Group L.L.C. lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 13.2% in the third quarter. Fortitude Advisory Group L.L.C. now owns 12,149 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,263,000 after acquiring an additional 1,417 shares in the last quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. boosted its holdings in Walmart by 22.0% in the third quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 140,542 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $14,605,000 after purchasing an additional 25,366 shares during the last quarter. Perpetual Ltd boosted its holdings in Walmart by 2.3% in the third quarter. Perpetual Ltd now owns 25,262 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,625,000 after purchasing an additional 563 shares during the last quarter. Vertrix Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 6.0% during the 3rd quarter. Vertrix Wealth Management LLC now owns 56,381 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,859,000 after purchasing an additional 3,197 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JGP Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter. JGP Wealth Management LLC now owns 135,219 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $14,052,000 after purchasing an additional 3,562 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Deutsche Bank’s bullish call was the primary catalyst, with the firm arguing that Walmart’s earnings growth and business mix leave additional room for the stock to advance. Walmart is a buy as inflation attracts more customers, says Deutsche Bank
• Positive Sentiment: Digital and holiday-sales opportunity: Faster pickup, flexible delivery, digital tools, Walmart+ engagement, and expanding e-commerce could support holiday sales and increase customer loyalty. Can Walmart’s Faster Shopping Options Boost Holiday Sales Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Defensive-sector rotation: Hotter inflation data encouraged investors to move away from technology and AI-related stocks toward consumer staples and retailers selling necessities, benefiting Walmart and peers.
• Positive Sentiment: Operational and workforce initiatives: Expanded employee healthcare benefits, including free prescriptions, may improve retention, while a new fulfillment hub and private-label fashion push broaden Walmart’s growth opportunities. Walmart Expands Employee Healthcare Benefits With Free Prescriptions And Paid NICU Leave
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s last reported quarter beat earnings and revenue expectations, but no new earnings release accompanied the latest move. The stock remains valued at a relatively high earnings multiple, making continued execution important.
• Negative Sentiment: Reports of a regulatory warning involving Walmart’s marketplace compliance and extensive recent insider selling represent potential investor concerns, although neither appears to be the main driver of the current move.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other Walmart news, CEO John Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.66, for a total transaction of $1,399,912.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 647,912 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $69,106,293.92. This trade represents a 1.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,990 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.41, for a total value of $416,595.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 618,359 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $64,562,863.19. The trade was a 0.64% 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. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 81,219 shares of company stock worth $8,604,429. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 21st. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $128.00 price target (down from $137.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Walmart from $147.00 to $132.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $125.00 price target (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Evercore set a $125.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-three have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $132.41.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT stock opened at $117.87 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 one year low of $98.88 and a one year high of $135.15. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $108.68 and its 200-day simple moving average is $116.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $935.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.55, a PEG ratio of 4.43 and a beta of 0.58.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.68 earnings per share. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Walmart

Walmart Inc (NASDAQ: WMT) is a multinational retailer that operates supercenters, discount stores, neighborhood markets, warehouse clubs and e-commerce platforms. Its merchandise includes groceries, apparel, electronics, home goods, health and wellness products, household essentials and general merchandise. Walmart also provides services such as grocery pickup and delivery, pharmacy services, financial products and digital advertising.

The company serves customers through its Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam’s Club segments.