Hollencrest Capital Management Increases Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Hollencrest Capital Management raised its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 94.4% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 38,733 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 18,811 shares during the period. Hollencrest Capital Management’s holdings in Walmart were worth $4,814,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Walmart during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC increased its stake in Walmart by 193.0% in the 4th quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 193 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,985,527.94. The trade was a 8.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible 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, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.19, for a total transaction of $342,751.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 574,953 shares in the company, valued at $67,953,695.07. The trade was a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 87,145 shares of company stock worth $10,691,920. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $114.24 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $909.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.26 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $118.82 and a 200-day moving average price of $122.11. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $94.43 and a one year high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.Walmart’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter 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. Equities analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on WMT shares. Truist Financial set a $140.00 target price on Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. UBS Group set a $141.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Guggenheim increased their price objective on shares of Walmart from $120.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $145.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walmart currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.85.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: June U.S. retail sales held up, suggesting consumers are still spending as Walmart heads into the back-to-school season; that could support traffic and sales volumes if the company remains aggressive on pricing. Retail Sales Hold Up as Walmart and Amazon Go Back to School
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is also being discussed in multiple market and analyst roundups, with commentary focusing on its strong digital growth and role as a defensive stock, but these pieces do not appear to include a major new business update. Walmart Commands a 36.74X Forward P/E: Is the Stock Worth Buying?
• Neutral Sentiment: An article about AI and retail highlighted that Walmart is investing in automation while still emphasizing workers, which reinforces its long-term strategy but is unlikely to move the stock on its own. Walmart’s people chief says these 10 jobs are still hot in the age of AI
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts argue Walmart’s premium valuation leaves limited room for disappointment, with one note saying momentum alone may not justify the stock’s high forward P/E. Walmart’s Momentum Cannot Justify The Premium
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart has also been the subject of bearish commentary saying the recent sell-off may not be over, adding to investor caution around the shares. Walmart: The Sell-Off Isn’t Over Yet (Rating Upgrade)

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.