Coastal Bridge Advisors LLC Buys New Shares in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Coastal Bridge Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 36,268 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $4,108,000.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the first quarter valued at about $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 105 shares during the period. Sankala Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda. acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 1st quarter valued at about $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was 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 directly owned 201,672 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,246,145.20. This represents a 20.07% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 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 David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,985,527.94. The trade was a 8.74% 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 have sold 77,292 shares of company stock worth $8,421,143 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of WMT stock opened at $103.09 on Monday. 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 company’s fifty day moving average price is $111.90 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $120.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $820.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.22, a P/E/G ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.61. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $95.79 and a 12 month high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The company had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.68 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. 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, research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WMT has been the subject of a number of research reports. BTIG Research decreased their target price on Walmart from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 21st. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Walmart from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Evercore set a $125.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. BNP Paribas Exane reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $137.00 target price (down from $146.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Truist Financial set a $114.00 target price on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $131.88.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s fiscal second-quarter results showed continued momentum beyond traditional store sales: revenue reached approximately $187.9 billion, global e-commerce grew 23%, and advertising revenue increased 38%. These higher-growth businesses could support future margins and cash flow. Walmart Growth Engine Hums
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary continue to point to Walmart’s expanding e-commerce, digital advertising, memberships, convenience-led fulfillment, automation and AI initiatives as reasons the recent decline could represent a long-term buying opportunity. Walmart’s scale and value-focused pricing remain important competitive advantages. Walmart Continues to Grow Beyond Retail
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart settled a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit alleging that its pharmacies unlawfully contributed to the opioid epidemic. Resolving the case removes an overhang and reduces legal uncertainty, although the financial terms and any broader implications remain important for investors. Walmart Settles U.S. Opioid Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage highlights a potentially tougher consumer environment. Walmart’s comparable sales growth was 3.4% excluding pharmacy-related items, while middle-income shoppers appear increasingly focused on necessities and limiting discretionary purchases. Walmart and Home Depot Results
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are also questioning whether Walmart’s valuation adequately reflects its strong performance. A high earnings multiple, slower core sales growth and the stock’s position below its moving averages have amplified the impact of the recent selloff. Walmart Selloff Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Executive Vice President Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares worth approximately $5.3 million. The sale was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan to cover taxes on vested equity awards, making it a weaker bearish signal than discretionary insider selling. Walmart Insider Trading Filing

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.