Empirical Finance LLC Has $16.74 Million Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Empirical Finance LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 3.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 147,788 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,357 shares during the quarter. Walmart makes up 0.7% of Empirical Finance LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 25th biggest position. Empirical Finance LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $16,738,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 11,189.0% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 755,604,916 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $85,579,813,000 after buying an additional 748,911,635 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at about $7,455,131,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at about $6,458,529,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,905,655,000. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Walmart by 188.1% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,199,907,000 after acquiring an additional 7,614,172 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 569,153 shares in the company, valued at $60,523,730.02. The trade was a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total value of $5,335,345.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 201,672 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,246,145.20. The trade was a 20.07% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 81,242 shares of company stock valued at $8,836,446. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Walmart Price Performance

WMT traded down $1.09 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $106.05. 22,633,471 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 25,673,854. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $110.66 and a 200 day moving average price of $119.36. 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 twelve month low of $98.88 and a twelve month high of $135.15. The company 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.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.68 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter 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. Equities research 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 brokerages have recently issued reports on WMT. KeyCorp restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $126.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Erste Group Bank downgraded Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 price objective (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $131.88.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

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?

Walmart Company Profile

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.