Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. Has $11.75 Million Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 5.5% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 103,754 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,455 shares during the quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $11,751,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the first quarter valued at $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Walmart by 57.4% in the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Sankala Group LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda. bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the 1st quarter valued at about $37,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total transaction of $1,308,670.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 120,203 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. This trade represents a 8.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,710 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.10, for a total value of $419,601.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 626,299 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $70,834,416.90. This trade represents a 0.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 71,439 shares of company stock valued at $8,544,532. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of WMT opened at $111.85 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $114.50 and its 200-day moving average is $121.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $890.11 billion, a PE ratio of 39.25, a PEG ratio of 4.17 and a beta of 0.61. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $95.42 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on WMT shares. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $137.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Oppenheimer cut Walmart from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their price target on Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Erste Group Bank lowered Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.56.

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.