Westpac Banking Corp Acquires Shares of 16,289 Walmart Inc. $WMT

Westpac Banking Corp acquired a new stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 16,289 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,845,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Walmart during the first quarter worth $29,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 57.4% during the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the period. Sankala Group LLC bought a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Walmart from $141.00 to $130.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Mizuho set a $130.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, July 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $130.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and set a $125.00 target price (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Freedom Broker raised Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $131.88.

Walmart Trading Down 1.0%

WMT stock opened at $104.34 on Thursday. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $95.60 and a 12 month high of $135.15. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $112.47 and its 200 day moving average is $120.78. The company has a market capitalization of $830.35 billion, a PE ratio of 37.67, a P/E/G ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $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. On average, research analysts anticipate 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 stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.10, for a total value of $419,601.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 626,299 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $70,834,416.90. This represents a 0.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed 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 David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total value of $1,435,203.96. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at $14,985,527.94. The trade was a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 quarter, insiders sold 26,648 shares of company stock valued at $3,085,798. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to project upside for WMT, with reports citing consensus price targets of $138.50 and $128.43—well above recent trading levels. Large call-option purchases also suggest some traders are positioning for a rebound. Walmart consensus price target Walmart call options activity
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s digital sales, automation and AI initiatives remain key parts of the growth story. Its Sparky shopping assistant has reportedly produced customer baskets about 40% larger than those of customers shopping without the tool, while Walmart is also exploring advertising and technology opportunities with OpenAI and ChatGPT. Walmart Sparky AI assistant
• Positive Sentiment: The new Scenario women’s fashion brand, with most items priced below $25, could help Walmart attract younger shoppers and expand its apparel business. The company is also increasing rapid-delivery capabilities through Flipkart in India. Walmart launches Scenario fashion brand
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are comparing Walmart’s digital and business-mix expansion with MercadoLibre’s broader ecosystem growth, highlighting Walmart’s improving online opportunity but also the high expectations embedded in its valuation. Walmart versus MercadoLibre growth comparison
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart’s U.S. comparable sales rose 2.6%, below the 3.8% analyst estimate and representing the company’s slowest comparable-sales growth in roughly six years. Higher gasoline prices and broader economic pressure may be making consumers more cautious. Walmart comparable-sales miss
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a concern after Walmart’s substantial five-year gain. Analysts note that the stock trades at a premium relative to peers despite slower store-sales momentum, while Amazon continues to take share of U.S. clothing spending from Walmart. Walmart valuation concerns Amazon clothing share versus Walmart

About Walmart

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.