Independent Financial Group LLC Purchases Shares of 104,100 Walmart Inc. $WMT

Independent Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 104,100 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $12,938,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $6,458,529,000. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 188.1% during 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 purchasing an additional 7,614,172 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Walmart by 6.8% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $11,426,753,000 after buying an additional 6,517,394 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors acquired a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at about $592,848,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Walmart by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $49,015,626,000 after buying an additional 4,304,436 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s back-to-school push is getting attention as the retailer highlights its lowest prices since 2019 on popular school items, which could help drive traffic and sales into the important seasonal shopping period. Walmart Helps Americans Navigate Their Annual Back-to-School Reset with Unmatched Value, Convenience and Style
• Positive Sentiment: June retail sales rose modestly, suggesting consumers are still spending and reinforcing Walmart’s value-oriented appeal as shoppers look for lower prices on essentials. Retail Sales Hold Up as Walmart and Amazon Go Back to School
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart also announced a partnership with General Mills and ADM to expand regenerative agriculture across 40,000 Midwest wheat acres, a long-term supply-chain and sustainability initiative that may support the company’s brand and sourcing strategy. General Mills, ADM, Walmart Partner to Accelerate Regenerative Agriculture Across 40,000 Midwest Wheat Acres
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts continue to flag Walmart’s premium valuation, with a forward P/E around 36.7x, which suggests investors expect strong execution but also leaves less room for disappointment. Walmart Commands a 36.74X Forward P/E: Is the Stock Worth Buying?
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary on Walmart’s AI-related hiring plans highlights the company’s investment in automation and digital tools, but it does not appear to materially change near-term earnings expectations. Walmart’s people chief says these 10 jobs are still hot in the age of AI
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market volatility and articles comparing Walmart with other defensive stocks add context, but they are not direct catalysts for the shares. 3 Stocks to Own When the Market Gets Ugly in July
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart’s stock has also recently been under pressure on a day when the broader market was firmer, underscoring some investor caution around the name despite its defensive profile. Walmart (WMT) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: Here’s Why

Walmart Trading Up 2.2%

Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $114.95 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $94.43 and a 1-year high of $135.15. The company has a market cap of $914.78 billion, a PE ratio of 40.33, a P/E/G ratio of 4.19 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The company has a 50-day moving average of $119.14 and a two-hundred day moving average of $122.10.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.61 earnings per share. Walmart’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently weighed in on WMT shares. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, April 20th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price target (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, Erste Group Bank downgraded Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $138.85.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total value of $1,308,670.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 120,203 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. This trade represents a 8.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total value of $413,891.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 630,009 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $69,074,186.76. The trade was a 0.60% 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. Insiders have sold a total of 87,145 shares of company stock worth $10,691,920 over the last ninety days. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.