Foyston Gordon & Payne Inc Buys New Shares in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Foyston Gordon & Payne Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 59,850 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $6,779,000. Walmart comprises approximately 1.4% of Foyston Gordon & Payne Inc’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest holding.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the first quarter valued at about $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Sankala Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 1st quarter worth about $37,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Down 1.0%

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $104.34 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $830.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.61. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $95.60 and a one year high of $135.15. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $112.47 and a 200 day simple moving average of $120.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.During the same period last year, the business posted $0.68 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter 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. Sell-side analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to project upside for WMT, with reports citing consensus price targets of $138.50 and $128.43—well above recent trading levels. Large call-option purchases also suggest some traders are positioning for a rebound. Walmart consensus price target Walmart call options activity
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s digital sales, automation and AI initiatives remain key parts of the growth story. Its Sparky shopping assistant has reportedly produced customer baskets about 40% larger than those of customers shopping without the tool, while Walmart is also exploring advertising and technology opportunities with OpenAI and ChatGPT. Walmart Sparky AI assistant
• Positive Sentiment: The new Scenario women’s fashion brand, with most items priced below $25, could help Walmart attract younger shoppers and expand its apparel business. The company is also increasing rapid-delivery capabilities through Flipkart in India. Walmart launches Scenario fashion brand
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are comparing Walmart’s digital and business-mix expansion with MercadoLibre’s broader ecosystem growth, highlighting Walmart’s improving online opportunity but also the high expectations embedded in its valuation. Walmart versus MercadoLibre growth comparison
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart’s U.S. comparable sales rose 2.6%, below the 3.8% analyst estimate and representing the company’s slowest comparable-sales growth in roughly six years. Higher gasoline prices and broader economic pressure may be making consumers more cautious. Walmart comparable-sales miss
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a concern after Walmart’s substantial five-year gain. Analysts note that the stock trades at a premium relative to peers despite slower store-sales momentum, while Amazon continues to take share of U.S. clothing spending from Walmart. Walmart valuation concerns Amazon clothing share versus Walmart

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 630,009 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $69,074,186.76. This represents a 0.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 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 dated Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,985,527.94. This represents a 8.74% 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. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 26,648 shares of company stock valued at $3,085,798. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on WMT. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. BTIG Research lowered their price target on Walmart from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 21st. BNP Paribas Exane reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $137.00 price objective (down from $146.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $120.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $115.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $131.88.

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.