Walmart Inc. $WMT Stake Lessened by Greenleaf Trust

Greenleaf Trust lessened its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 7.6% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 116,166 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 9,583 shares during the period. Greenleaf Trust’s holdings in Walmart were worth $13,157,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 1st quarter worth $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 57.4% during the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Sankala Group LLC acquired a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda. acquired a new position in Walmart during the first quarter worth about $37,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Opioid lawsuit ends with limited financial impact: Walmart agreed to pay approximately $50 million to resolve a Justice Department lawsuit involving its pharmacies’ opioid-distribution practices. The settlement is described as immaterial relative to Walmart’s profits and substantially below the potentially multibillion-dollar penalties once threatened, reducing a major legal overhang. Walmart escapes major legal penalty for a fraction of the cost
• Positive Sentiment: Marketplace growth remains strong: Walmart’s U.S. marketplace sales reportedly increased 52%, helped by a broader product assortment, increased fulfillment adoption and expansion into Mexico and Canada. Continued marketplace momentum could improve customer engagement and support higher-margin advertising and third-party seller revenue. Walmart’s Marketplace Momentum Builds
• Positive Sentiment: International digital operations are improving: Rising e-commerce penetration and reduced losses in Walmart International are improving the segment’s economics. However, ongoing investment and margin pressure could limit the near-term earnings benefit. Walmart International’s Digital Mix Rises
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst remains bullish: Tigress Financial reaffirmed its “buy” rating and set a $155 price target, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels. SAIC, Walmart And 3 Stocks To Watch
• Neutral Sentiment: Value comparison offers limited direction: Articles comparing Walmart with J. Sainsbury PLC focus on relative valuation rather than a new company-specific catalyst. Walmart’s strong operating profile is balanced by a comparatively elevated earnings multiple, making valuation-sensitive investors more selective. JSAIY vs. WMT: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?
• Negative Sentiment: EPS estimates were trimmed: Erste Group Bank lowered its fiscal 2027 earnings-per-share estimates for Walmart, reinforcing concerns that elevated investment, e-commerce costs or margin pressure could constrain profit growth. FY2027 EPS Estimates for Walmart Cut by Erste Group Bank

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on WMT shares. Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $115.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of Walmart from $137.00 to $131.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Roth Capital reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Freedom Broker raised shares of Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, Mizuho set a $130.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $131.88.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,710 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.10, for a total transaction of $419,601.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 626,299 shares in the company, valued at approximately $70,834,416.90. This trade represents a 0.59% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available 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 dated 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at $14,985,527.94. This represents a 8.74% decrease in their position. 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 have sold 77,292 shares of company stock worth $8,421,143 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Price Performance

NASDAQ WMT opened at $105.92 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $96.51 and a 1 year high of $135.15. The company has a market cap of $840.34 billion, a PE ratio of 38.24, a PEG ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.59. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $111.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $120.08.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 period last year, the firm posted $0.68 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. 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 EPS for the current year.

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.