WealthShield Partners LLC Buys Shares of 49,559 Walmart Inc. $WMT

WealthShield Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 49,559 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $5,613,000. Walmart comprises approximately 0.9% of WealthShield Partners LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest holding.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Walmart during the first quarter worth about $29,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 57.4% in the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Sankala Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently issued reports on WMT. Oppenheimer reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday. Gordon Haskett downgraded shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to an “accumulate” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 target price (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Tigress Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $155.00 price target (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 29th. Three 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $131.88.

More Walmart News

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

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $104.34 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $112.47 and its 200-day moving average is $120.78. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $95.60 and a 1-year high of $135.15. 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 stock has a market cap of $830.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.61.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.68 EPS. The firm’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. Equities research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the business’s 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,985,527.94. The trade was a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total value of $413,891.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 630,009 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $69,074,186.76. The trade was a 0.60% 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. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 26,648 shares of company stock worth $3,085,798. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.