United Capital Financial Advisors LLC Purchases Shares of 312,237 Walmart Inc. $WMT

United Capital Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 312,237 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $35,364,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Dearborn Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the second quarter worth about $22,742,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the second quarter worth about $1,164,000. Yukon Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the second quarter worth about $626,000. E Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Walmart during the second quarter valued at approximately $366,000. Finally, Brooks Moore & Associates Inc. purchased a new position in Walmart during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $4,459,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s fiscal second-quarter results showed continued momentum beyond traditional store sales: revenue reached approximately $187.9 billion, global e-commerce grew 23%, and advertising revenue increased 38%. These higher-growth businesses could support future margins and cash flow. Walmart Growth Engine Hums
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary continue to point to Walmart’s expanding e-commerce, digital advertising, memberships, convenience-led fulfillment, automation and AI initiatives as reasons the recent decline could represent a long-term buying opportunity. Walmart’s scale and value-focused pricing remain important competitive advantages. Walmart Continues to Grow Beyond Retail
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart settled a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit alleging that its pharmacies unlawfully contributed to the opioid epidemic. Resolving the case removes an overhang and reduces legal uncertainty, although the financial terms and any broader implications remain important for investors. Walmart Settles U.S. Opioid Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage highlights a potentially tougher consumer environment. Walmart’s comparable sales growth was 3.4% excluding pharmacy-related items, while middle-income shoppers appear increasingly focused on necessities and limiting discretionary purchases. Walmart and Home Depot Results
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are also questioning whether Walmart’s valuation adequately reflects its strong performance. A high earnings multiple, slower core sales growth and the stock’s position below its moving averages have amplified the impact of the recent selloff. Walmart Selloff Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Executive Vice President Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares worth approximately $5.3 million. The sale was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan to cover taxes on vested equity awards, making it a weaker bearish signal than discretionary insider selling. Walmart Insider Trading Filing

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total value of $308,386.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 569,153 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $60,523,730.02. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total value of $5,335,345.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 201,672 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,246,145.20. This trade represents a 20.07% 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. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 77,292 shares of company stock valued at $8,421,143. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Walmart Price Performance

NASDAQ WMT opened at $103.09 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The company has a fifty day moving average of $111.90 and a two-hundred day moving average of $120.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $820.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.22, a PEG ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.61. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $95.79 and a 52 week high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.68 earnings per share. The business’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. On average, analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the company. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $126.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Walmart from $141.00 to $130.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Freedom Capital raised shares of Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $131.88.

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.