Arizona State Retirement System Boosts Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Arizona State Retirement System grew its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 1.3% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 1,216,703 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 15,676 shares during the quarter. Walmart makes up about 0.7% of Arizona State Retirement System’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest position. Arizona State Retirement System’s holdings in Walmart were worth $137,804,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of WMT. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 28.8% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 98,150 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,868,000 after purchasing an additional 21,939 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Walmart by 5.8% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,849 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $800,000 after buying an additional 485 shares during the period. Peterson Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 3.5% during the 1st quarter. Peterson Wealth Management now owns 50,307 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,416,000 after buying an additional 1,715 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 13,008 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,272,000 after buying an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 91,341 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,931,000 after buying an additional 1,048 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AI positioning could support long-term growth. TD Cowen identified Walmart as one of the retailers best positioned to benefit from artificial intelligence, including more personalized shopping, improved inventory management and greater operating efficiency. Walmart, Ulta and Other Retailers That Can Win With AI
• Positive Sentiment: Opioid settlement removes a major legal overhang. Walmart agreed to pay $50 million to resolve a federal opioid case, substantially below the potential multibillion-dollar liability previously suggested by the Justice Department. The relatively modest settlement limits financial damage, although compliance and reputational concerns remain. Walmart Settles a Potential Multibillion-Dollar Opioid Case for $50 Million
• Positive Sentiment: Advertising is improving Walmart’s profit mix. The company’s expanding advertising business is generating higher-margin revenue as digital sales grow, potentially supporting earnings and profitability over time. Walmart’s Ad Business Expands: Can High-Margin Growth Lift Profits?
• Neutral Sentiment: Defensive appeal may attract investors before CPI and the Fed decision. Walmart is being highlighted alongside other defensive companies as a relatively stable retailer during macroeconomic uncertainty. However, interest-rate expectations and inflation data could influence the broader market more than company-specific news. 5 Defensive Stocks to Watch as CPI and the Fed Put the Rally to the Test
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary remains favorable but highlights relative underperformance. Jim Cramer said he would buy Walmart after its recent weakness, while noting that Target’s turnaround has attracted more attention. The comments may support sentiment but do not change Walmart’s earnings outlook. Jim Cramer Says Buy Walmart as Target’s Turnaround Gains Momentum
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term profit growth could face pressure. While advertising is a promising high-margin growth engine, expected Vibe-related costs may weigh on fiscal 2027 earnings growth. Walmart’s premium valuation makes such cost pressure a potential stock headwind. Walmart’s Ad Business Expands: Can High-Margin Growth Lift Profits?

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Mizuho set a $130.00 target price on Walmart in a report on Monday, July 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded 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 given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Walmart has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $131.88.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,950 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.14, for a total value of $415,303.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 622,349 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $65,433,773.86. This trade represents a 0.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing 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 Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 201,672 shares in the company, valued at $21,246,145.20. This 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. Insiders have sold a total of 81,242 shares of company stock worth $8,836,446 in the last ninety days. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Walmart Stock Down 1.0%

Walmart stock traded down $1.09 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $106.05. 22,633,471 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 25,673,854. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $98.88 and a 52-week high of $135.15. The firm has a market cap of $841.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.29, a PEG ratio of 4.09 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The company’s 50-day moving average is $110.66 and its two-hundred day moving average is $119.36.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The firm’s revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $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. On average, analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.

About Walmart

Walmart Inc is a multinational retail and technology company that operates supercenters, discount stores, neighborhood markets, e-commerce platforms and membership warehouse clubs. Its merchandise includes groceries, apparel, electronics, home goods, health and beauty products, general merchandise and other consumer products.

Founded by Sam Walton in 1962 and incorporated in 1969, Walmart is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas. The company serves customers through operations in the United States and international markets, including Mexico, Canada, China, India and several countries in Central America and Africa.