William Blair Investment Management LLC Takes $6.49 Million Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

William Blair Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 57,264 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $6,486,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Korea Investment CORP purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth $410,389,000. EP Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at about $38,258,000. Heartland Bank & Trust Co purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,264,000. M1 Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Walmart in the second quarter valued at about $1,169,000. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. acquired a new position in Walmart in the second quarter valued at about $145,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart News Roundup

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 Down 1.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $104.34 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $830.35 billion, a PE ratio of 37.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.61. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $112.47 and its two-hundred day moving average is $120.78. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $95.60 and a 1 year high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 business had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.68 earnings per share. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. Analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $120.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $113.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $128.00 target price (down from $137.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Tigress Financial reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $155.00 target price (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $131.88.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,710 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.10, for a total value of $419,601.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 626,299 shares in the company, valued at $70,834,416.90. This represents a 0.59% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 26,648 shares of company stock worth $3,085,798 in the last ninety days. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Walmart Company 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.