Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Purchases New Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. purchased a new stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 871,352 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $98,689,000.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. CFO4Life Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $6,491,000. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the second quarter valued at approximately $2,251,000. Evolve Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the second quarter valued at $5,944,000. Martin & Co. Inc. TN acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the second quarter valued at $4,245,000. Finally, WealthShield Partners LLC bought a new position in Walmart in the second quarter worth $5,613,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ WMT opened at $104.34 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $830.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.67, a PEG ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a 50 day moving average of $112.47 and a 200-day moving average of $120.78. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $95.60 and a 1-year high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced 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. The business had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.Walmart’s revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.68 EPS. 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 forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. DA Davidson set a $132.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Evercore set a $125.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Oppenheimer reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Walmart from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $113.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $131.88.

Walmart News Summary

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total value of $413,891.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 630,009 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $69,074,186.76. The trade was a 0.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total transaction of $308,386.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 569,153 shares in the company, valued at approximately $60,523,730.02. This trade represents a 0.51% 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. In the last quarter, insiders sold 26,648 shares of company stock worth $3,085,798. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.