Bradley Foster & Sargent Inc. CT Trims Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Bradley Foster & Sargent Inc. CT lowered its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 1.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 508,791 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 5,025 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for approximately 1.0% of Bradley Foster & Sargent Inc. CT’s portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Bradley Foster & Sargent Inc. CT’s holdings in Walmart were worth $63,233,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the first quarter worth about $29,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 57.4% in 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 during the last quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 193.0% in the fourth quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 193 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sankala Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $109.47 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $95.42 and a 52-week high of $135.15. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $116.75 and a 200-day moving average of $121.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $871.17 billion, a PE ratio of 38.41, a P/E/G ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.60. 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 released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.61 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In other news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,985,527.94. The trade was a 8.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.19, for a total transaction of $342,751.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 574,953 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $67,953,695.07. This trade represents a 0.50% 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 sold a total of 67,729 shares of company stock valued at $8,124,931 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reportedly reaffirmed an Outperform rating on Walmart, a supportive signal that may help bolster investor confidence. Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Earns Outperform Rating from Royal Bank Of Canada
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart was highlighted as a wide-moat, sustainable growth stock, reinforcing the view that it can keep delivering steady results even in choppy markets. Top Wide-Moat Stocks to Invest in for Sustainable Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart partnered with ReturnPro to refurbish and resell returned products, which could improve e-commerce efficiency and reduce losses from returns. Walmart (WMT) Partners With ReturnPro To Resell Returned Products
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage suggesting Walmart may be a solid growth stock could keep investors focused on its durable financial performance and scale advantages. Is Walmart (WMT) a Solid Growth Stock? 3 Reasons to Think “Yes”
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are closely watching Walmart ahead of earnings, with previews focusing on what the company may report rather than providing a fresh catalyst by themselves. Walmart’s quarterly earnings preview: What you need to know
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart being one of Zacks’ most-searched stocks indicates strong investor interest, but not necessarily a direct fundamental driver. Investors Heavily Search Walmart Inc. (WMT): Here is What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles discussing Walmart’s dividend profile may appeal to income investors, but they are unlikely to move the stock on their own. Does Walmart pay dividends? Its yield & payouts explained
• Negative Sentiment: One article noted Walmart’s extended share-price weakness and suggested the stock could be in a comeback setup, reflecting lingering concern after a recent downtrend. Walmart stock’s extended downturn could trigger a possible comeback
• Negative Sentiment: A bearish comparison piece argued investors might prefer another stock over WMT, citing weaker recent share performance and softer quarterly results. 3 Reasons to Sell WMT and 1 Stock to Buy Instead

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WMT has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Guggenheim raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $120.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $137.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price objective (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, June 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.85.

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.