L2 Asset Management LLC Purchases New Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

L2 Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 25,198 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $2,854,000.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Walmart by 1.2% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $19,046,104,000 after acquiring an additional 2,242,364 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Walmart by 6.8% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $11,426,753,000 after acquiring an additional 6,517,394 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at $6,458,529,000. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,626,852 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,526,238,000 after acquiring an additional 328,229 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 36,820,550 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,102,546,000 after purchasing an additional 920,969 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently issued reports on WMT. Citigroup reduced their price target on Walmart from $147.00 to $132.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 21st. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $126.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $113.00 target price on Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Weiss Ratings cut Walmart from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Walmart from $137.00 to $125.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $131.88.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total transaction of $5,335,345.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 201,672 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,246,145.20. This trade represents a 20.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,710 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at $70,834,416.90. This trade represents a 0.59% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 77,292 shares of company stock valued at $8,421,143 over the last ninety days. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of WMT stock opened at $103.09 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $95.79 and a 12-month high of $135.15. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $111.90 and a 200-day moving average of $120.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $820.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.90 and a beta of 0.61.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $187.94 billion for 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 firm’s revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $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, equities research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s fiscal second-quarter results showed continued momentum beyond traditional store sales: revenue reached approximately $187.9 billion, global e-commerce grew 23%, and advertising revenue increased 38%. These higher-growth businesses could support future margins and cash flow. Walmart Growth Engine Hums
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary continue to point to Walmart’s expanding e-commerce, digital advertising, memberships, convenience-led fulfillment, automation and AI initiatives as reasons the recent decline could represent a long-term buying opportunity. Walmart’s scale and value-focused pricing remain important competitive advantages. Walmart Continues to Grow Beyond Retail
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart settled a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit alleging that its pharmacies unlawfully contributed to the opioid epidemic. Resolving the case removes an overhang and reduces legal uncertainty, although the financial terms and any broader implications remain important for investors. Walmart Settles U.S. Opioid Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage highlights a potentially tougher consumer environment. Walmart’s comparable sales growth was 3.4% excluding pharmacy-related items, while middle-income shoppers appear increasingly focused on necessities and limiting discretionary purchases. Walmart and Home Depot Results
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are also questioning whether Walmart’s valuation adequately reflects its strong performance. A high earnings multiple, slower core sales growth and the stock’s position below its moving averages have amplified the impact of the recent selloff. Walmart Selloff Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Executive Vice President Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares worth approximately $5.3 million. The sale was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan to cover taxes on vested equity awards, making it a weaker bearish signal than discretionary insider selling. Walmart Insider Trading Filing

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.