Orographic Financial Advisors LLC Purchases New Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Orographic Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 7,091 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $883,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. MFA Wealth Services lifted its position in Walmart by 0.7% in the first quarter. MFA Wealth Services now owns 10,909 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,356,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Realta Investment Advisors grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 2.0% during the first quarter. Realta Investment Advisors now owns 4,089 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $508,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Compton Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 4.1% during the first quarter. Compton Financial Group LLC now owns 2,081 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $259,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Group LLC increased its position in shares of Walmart by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Renaissance Group LLC now owns 9,636 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,074,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Calton & Associates Inc. increased its position in shares of Walmart by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. now owns 27,220 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,033,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently issued reports on WMT shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, July 17th. BNP Paribas Exane cut their price target on Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Mizuho set a $130.00 price objective on Walmart in a research note on Monday. Erste Group Bank downgraded Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. Finally, Tigress Financial restated a “buy” rating and set a $155.00 target price (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.65.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of WMT opened at $111.10 on Friday. 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 fifty-two week low of $95.42 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $115.35 and a 200-day simple moving average of $122.01. The company has a market capitalization of $884.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.26 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. The firm had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $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. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total value of $413,891.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 630,009 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $69,074,186.76. The trade was a 0.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,985,527.94. This trade represents a 8.74% 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. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 67,729 shares of company stock worth $8,124,931. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Expanded wellness assortment could support growth. Walmart added or expanded placements for products from Magic Science, Kate Farms, Edible Garden AG and Final Boss Sour across stores and Walmart.com ahead of back-to-school shopping. The move reinforces Walmart’s position in health, wellness and everyday essentials, although the near-term financial impact is not yet quantified. How Walmart’s Back-to-School Wellness Push With New Brands Will Impact Walmart Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Potential shareholder-return support from buybacks. Coverage of Walmart’s large repurchase authorization highlights the possibility of reducing shares outstanding, increasing per-share earnings and supporting long-term shareholder returns. The benefit depends on the pace and price of repurchases, particularly given Walmart’s elevated valuation. Walmart’s Stock Buybacks: How Its Massive New Repurchase Program Could Affect Shareholder Returns
• Positive Sentiment: FTC clearance removes a hurdle for the Vibe transaction. The Federal Trade Commission’s decision allowing Walmart’s deal for Vibe to proceed reduces near-term regulatory uncertainty and could provide an additional growth opportunity, though the article provides limited details on the transaction’s expected financial contribution. Walmart’s Deal for Vibe Is Cleared by the FTC to Progress
• Neutral Sentiment: Peer comparisons underscore valuation concerns. Articles comparing Walmart with J. Sainsbury and Costco point to Walmart’s resilient retail model, digital growth and customer loyalty, but also emphasize differences in valuation and earnings drivers. With Walmart trading at a relatively high earnings multiple, investors may require continued strong execution to justify the premium. Walmart vs. Costco: Which Retail Stock Has the Stronger Edge?
• Negative Sentiment: AI shopping-bot findings raised regulatory risk. A study led by former FTC Chair Lina Khan said Amazon and Walmart’s AI assistants can identify potentially false “Made in USA” claims but do not consistently flag them to shoppers. The findings could increase scrutiny over marketplace oversight, consumer protection and the accuracy of Walmart’s AI tools, weighing on sentiment. Amazon, Walmart AI Detect ‘Made in USA’ Fraud but Do Not Flag It, Study Says

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.