Vise Technologies Inc. Makes New Investment in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Vise Technologies Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 435,170 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $49,287,000. Walmart makes up about 0.6% of Vise Technologies Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th biggest position.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the first quarter valued at $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 57.4% during 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 in the last quarter. Sankala Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda. purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the 1st quarter valued at about $37,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently commented on WMT. Freedom Capital upgraded Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Walmart from $137.00 to $125.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. DA Davidson set a $132.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Walmart from $147.00 to $132.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Finally, Gordon Haskett downgraded shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to an “accumulate” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $131.88.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the company’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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 120,203 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. This represents a 8.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the firm’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 sale, 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 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 57,064 shares of company stock worth $6,697,788. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Price Performance

WMT stock opened at $106.49 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $113.06 and a 200-day simple moving average of $121.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $847.46 billion, a PE ratio of 38.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 0.61. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $95.42 and a 1 year high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. The company 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 firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $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 research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity may indicate increased near-term bullish interest. Investors purchased 166,747 call options, about 33% above the typical daily volume. However, options activity is speculative and does not guarantee further gains.
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is rolling out tap-to-pay and NFC capabilities across its U.S. stores and clubs. The move could improve checkout convenience, support mobile-wallet adoption and strengthen customer engagement as digital sales and membership become more important. Can Walmart’s Tap to Pay Push Strengthen Customer Engagement?
• Positive Sentiment: The company is introducing Scenario, a mostly sub-$25 fashion brand aimed at younger shoppers. Walmart hopes the offering will attract value-conscious consumers and improve its competitive position against Amazon in apparel. Walmart Aims to Take On Amazon With Trendier Apparel
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s latest quarter exceeded expectations, with adjusted earnings of $0.81 per share versus roughly $0.74 expected and revenue of $187.94 billion, up 5.9% year over year. Full-year sales guidance was also raised to 4%-5%, but the outlook implies moderating growth.
• Negative Sentiment: U.S. comparable sales growth slowed to 2.6%, compared with 4.1% in the prior quarter and 4.6% a year earlier. Investors remain concerned that cautious consumers and uneven spending are pressuring traffic and discretionary purchases.
• Negative Sentiment: Several analysts reduced Walmart’s price targets or issued more cautious forecasts after the earnings report. Critics also argue that the stock remains expensive at roughly 36 times forward earnings despite decelerating growth, limiting upside.

Walmart 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.