Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Bought by Westerkirk Capital Inc.

Westerkirk Capital Inc. grew its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 105.4% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 67,224 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 34,500 shares during the period. Walmart makes up about 0.7% of Westerkirk Capital Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 29th largest holding. Westerkirk Capital Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $7,489,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Calton & Associates Inc. lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. now owns 27,220 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,033,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the period. Advocacy Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,561 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $285,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,955 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $552,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ellenbecker Investment Group increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Ellenbecker Investment Group now owns 14,475 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,613,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on WMT shares. Freedom Capital raised shares of Walmart from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. DA Davidson set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $140.00 price objective (up from $130.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.85.

Walmart News Roundup

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.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,250 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.77, for a total value of $167,212.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 635,593 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $85,023,275.61. The trade was a 0.20% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible 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 Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.08, for a total transaction of $1,628,550.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 661,037 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $82,021,470.96. The trade was a 1.95% 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. Insiders sold 117,008 shares of company stock worth $14,492,704 in the last three months. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Walmart Stock Up 0.8%

WMT stock opened at $119.83 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $953.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.05, a PEG ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $93.43 and a one year high of $135.15. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $125.57 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $121.33.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The firm had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. Walmart’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.61 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

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.