Walmart Inc. $WMT Stock Sold by Cooper Financial Group

Cooper Financial Group decreased its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 26.1% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 23,345 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 8,256 shares during the period. Cooper Financial Group’s holdings in Walmart were worth $2,426,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the first quarter worth about $29,000. Montgomery Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in Walmart during the second quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Sankala Group LLC acquired a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Copos Capital S.a r.l. purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Retail media expansion could improve margins. Walmart Connect is extending its shopper-data advertising beyond Walmart-owned properties into live television, connected TV, streaming audio and other platforms through partnerships with Warner Bros. Discovery, Spotify and Yahoo. The business reportedly grew 43%, offering a higher-margin growth engine alongside e-commerce, membership and delivery. How Is Walmart Turning Shopper Data Into a Bigger Advertising Business?
• Positive Sentiment: AI partnerships reinforce Walmart’s technology positioning. Walmart is participating in Meta and Sierra’s Personal Agent Protocol, an open standard intended to let consumer AI agents interact directly with businesses. The initiative could help Walmart capture AI-driven shopping and customer-service activity as the technology develops. Meta and Sierra launch protocol for AI agents to interact with businesses
• Positive Sentiment: Options activity signals bullish trader interest. Traders purchased approximately 267,098 WMT call options, nearly double the stock’s average daily call volume. Although options activity is not a fundamental catalyst, it indicates increased short-term optimism. Which Retailers Do AI Agents Cite the Most?
• Neutral Sentiment: Private-label growth has mixed implications. Walmart’s bettergoods brand benefits from consumers seeking lower-cost alternatives to national brands and could support merchandise margins. However, continued price sensitivity may pressure branded suppliers and signals that shoppers remain value-focused. 3 Consumer Stocks Fighting for Shelf Space Against Private Labels
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and macroeconomic risks remain. Walmart trades at a relatively high earnings multiple, leaving the stock vulnerable if interest rates remain elevated or consumer spending weakens. Higher borrowing costs and slower economic growth could weigh on valuation and discretionary purchases, even though Walmart may gain market share as shoppers trade down. America Got Addicted to Cheap Money

Walmart Stock Up 0.9%

Walmart stock traded up $0.96 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $108.16. The stock had a trading volume of 16,126,333 shares, compared to its average volume of 25,266,242. The stock has a market capitalization of $858.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.01 and a beta of 0.58. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $98.88 and a 1-year high of $135.15. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $108.43 and its 200-day simple moving average is $116.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The firm had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.68 EPS. The company’s revenue 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. As a group, analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,990 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.41, for a total transaction of $416,595.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 618,359 shares in the company, valued at $64,562,863.19. This trade represents a 0.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 201,672 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,246,145.20. This trade represents 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. In the last three months, insiders sold 81,219 shares of company stock valued at $8,604,429. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on WMT shares. Freedom Capital raised Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Tigress Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $155.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, August 31st. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $120.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on shares of Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of Walmart from $137.00 to $131.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock 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 assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $131.74.

Walmart Profile

Walmart Inc (NASDAQ: WMT) is a multinational retailer that operates supercenters, discount stores, neighborhood markets, warehouse clubs and e-commerce platforms. Its merchandise includes groceries, apparel, electronics, home goods, health and wellness products, household essentials and general merchandise. Walmart also provides services such as grocery pickup and delivery, pharmacy services, financial products and digital advertising.

The company serves customers through its Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam’s Club segments.