Flputnam Investment Management Co. Increases Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Flputnam Investment Management Co. boosted its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 57.2% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 93,146 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 33,901 shares during the quarter. Flputnam Investment Management Co.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $10,377,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of WMT. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,561 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $285,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the period. Capstone Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,955 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $552,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the period. Ellenbecker Investment Group boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Ellenbecker Investment Group now owns 14,475 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,613,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Matrix Trust Co boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 20.0% in the fourth quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 547 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the period. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walmart by 4.1% in the fourth quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,362 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $263,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $118.54 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $126.36 and its 200 day moving average price is $120.53. The stock has a market cap of $944.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $93.43 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share 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 net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The firm’s revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.61 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.77, for a total transaction of $167,212.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 635,593 shares in the company, valued at $85,023,275.61. The trade was a 0.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total value of $2,555,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 486,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $62,203,571.56. The trade was a 3.95% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 106,592 shares of company stock valued at $13,436,513 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target on Walmart to $150 from $145 and kept a Buy rating, citing strong grocery traffic that could support sales momentum. TD Cowen Boosts Target on Walmart (WMT) Amid Strong Grocery Traffic
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s e-commerce business grew 26%, while ads and membership revenue continue to scale, supporting the company’s longer-term profit mix. Target vs. Walmart: Which Retail Stock Is the Better Buy After Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is being added to the Russell 3000 elite/top 10 during the June reconstitution, which is notable for index investors but not a direct fundamental catalyst. Walmart Joins Russell 3000 Elite As Investors Weigh Q1 Shakeup
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart launched a logistics program to streamline distribution and simplify supplier shipments, a cost-efficiency move that could help over time. Walmart Debuts Program to Streamline Distribution Network
• Negative Sentiment: Recent commentary continues to focus on Walmart’s post-earnings slide, with investors worried that fuel and other costs are squeezing margins and overshadowing growth. Walmart Sinks 8.1% Post Q1 Earnings: Exit WMT Stock or Stay Put?
• Negative Sentiment: RBC Capital trimmed its price target to $137 from $140 after Walmart’s in-line quarter and softer-than-expected guidance, reinforcing concerns about near-term earnings momentum. Walmart (WMT) – Among the Top 12 Picks for a Dividend Stock Portfolio For Retirement

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WMT has been the subject of several recent research reports. DA Davidson set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $137.00 price objective (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, UBS Group set a $141.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.71.

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.