25,272 Shares in Walmart Inc. $WMT Acquired by Strait & Sound Wealth Management LLC

Strait & Sound Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm acquired 25,272 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $2,862,000. Walmart makes up approximately 1.0% of Strait & Sound Wealth Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 20th largest position.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Walmart by 57.4% in the 4th 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 stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda. purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the first quarter worth $37,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart agreed to pay $50 million to settle U.S. Justice Department allegations involving improperly filled opioid prescriptions. Although the settlement carries a financial cost and reputational risk, it is viewed favorably because it resolves litigation that had exposed the company to potentially billions of dollars in civil penalties. Walmart described the payment as immaterial. Walmart escapes major legal penalty for a fraction of the cost
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s U.S. marketplace sales increased 52%, supported by a broader product selection, greater use of fulfillment services and international expansion in Mexico and Canada. Sustaining this momentum could improve e-commerce growth and marketplace profitability. Walmart’s Marketplace Momentum Builds
• Positive Sentiment: Tigress Financial reaffirmed its buy rating and set a $155 price target, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels. This reflects confidence in Walmart’s long-term earnings and growth prospects. Benzinga analyst rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary highlights Walmart’s 53-year record of dividend increases and notes that the stock is well below its peak. However, its dividend yield remains relatively low and its valuation is still elevated compared with the broader market. Walmart dividend analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group Bank lowered its fiscal 2027 EPS estimates, signaling expectations for slower earnings growth or increased cost pressure. Walmart’s recent earnings-related share-price weakness also indicates that investors remain sensitive to the company’s premium valuation. FY2027 EPS Estimates for Walmart Cut

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total transaction of $5,335,345.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 201,672 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,246,145.20. This represents a 20.07% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 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. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The stock was 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 directly owned 569,153 shares in the company, valued at $60,523,730.02. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 77,292 shares of company stock worth $8,421,143 in the last quarter. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $128.00 price objective (down from $137.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $126.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Evercore set a $125.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded shares of Walmart to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Three equities 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’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $131.88.

Walmart Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of WMT opened at $104.87 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $834.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $95.79 and a 1 year high of $135.15. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $111.65 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $120.24.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS 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 firm had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.68 earnings per share. The company’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, equities analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.