Pettyjohn Wood & White Inc. Boosts Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Pettyjohn Wood & White Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 3.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 160,182 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,198 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for about 2.8% of Pettyjohn Wood & White Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest position. Pettyjohn Wood & White Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $17,846,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC increased its stake in Walmart by 114.0% during the 4th quarter. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 291,146 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,437,000 after acquiring an additional 155,074 shares during the period. Eldridge Investment Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Walmart by 6.5% during the 4th quarter. Eldridge Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 2,472 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $275,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the period. Westerkirk Capital Inc. increased its stake in Walmart by 105.4% during the 4th quarter. Westerkirk Capital Inc. now owns 67,224 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $7,489,000 after acquiring an additional 34,500 shares during the period. Advocacy Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Walmart by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Advocacy Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,392 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $378,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the period. Finally, BLI Banque de Luxembourg Investments bought a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth $5,708,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of WMT opened at $119.83 on Tuesday. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $93.43 and a 52-week high of $135.15. The business’s fifty day moving average is $125.57 and its 200-day moving average is $121.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market cap of $953.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.05, a PEG ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 0.60.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The company had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.61 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter 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 anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total transaction of $2,303,320.08. Following the sale, the director owned 4,174,579 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $495,230,306.77. This trade represents a 0.46% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.08, for a total value of $1,628,550.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 661,037 shares in the company, valued at approximately $82,021,470.96. This trade represents a 1.95% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 117,008 shares of company stock worth $14,492,704 over the last 90 days. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WMT has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Argus upgraded Walmart to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Freedom Capital upgraded Walmart from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $140.00 price target (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Tigress Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $155.00 price target (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.85.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: RBC said Walmart could gain a competitive edge through partnerships with quick-service restaurants, which could help drive more traffic, broaden customer engagement, and strengthen its ecosystem. Walmart Poised to Gain Competitive Advantage Through Quick Service Restaurant Partnerships, RBC Says
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s e-commerce sales rose 26% in Q1 fiscal 2027, with growth coming from store pickup, delivery, and marketplace expansion, reinforcing the view that its digital business is becoming a bigger profit driver. Walmart’s E-commerce Improves 26%: Is Margin Expansion Next?
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart Connect is opening new off-site advertising opportunities, expanding a high-margin revenue stream that can lift profitability faster than traditional retail sales. Walmart (WMT) Opens New Opportunities For Advertisers Beyond Its Own Platform
• Positive Sentiment: RBC also said Walmart remains confident in its competitive positioning despite pricing pressure, suggesting it can defend share even if inflation or tariffs squeeze consumers. Walmart Confident in Competitive Positioning Amid Pricing Pressure, RBC Capital Markets Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Oppenheimer said Walmart continues to project an upbeat management tone and stay focused on value, reinforcing a steady long-term narrative rather than a major new catalyst. Walmart Maintains Upbeat Tone, Reinforces Value Strategy, Oppenheimer Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles noted Walmart is attracting unusual investor attention, but these pieces were mostly commentary and screening updates rather than fresh fundamental news. Walmart Inc. (WMT) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s increased use of AI, employee messaging around AI-related job concerns, and philanthropic disaster-response spending support the company’s strategic and brand image, but are not likely to move the stock much on their own.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts also flagged pricing pressure and tariff-related cost uncertainty, which could weigh on margins and explain some of the recent pullback in the shares.

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.