Jacobs Equity LLC Buys New Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Jacobs Equity LLC purchased a new position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm purchased 7,194 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $815,000. Walmart accounts for approximately 0.6% of Jacobs Equity LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 24th biggest position.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 57.4% in the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Sankala Group LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on WMT. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $130.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Freedom Capital raised Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating and set a $126.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a report 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. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $131.88.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total transaction of $308,386.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 569,153 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $60,523,730.02. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed 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 stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total value of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of 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 90 days, insiders have sold 77,292 shares of company stock worth $8,421,143. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

WMT opened at $103.09 on Monday. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $95.79 and a 1-year high of $135.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $820.40 billion, a PE ratio of 37.22, a PEG ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $111.90 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $120.39.

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

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

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

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.