Zhang Financial LLC Has $4.09 Million Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Zhang Financial LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 15.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 36,748 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,008 shares during the quarter. Zhang Financial LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $4,094,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,335 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.63, for a total transaction of $166,381.05. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 636,843 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $79,369,743.09. This trade represents a 0.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing 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 John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total transaction of $2,555,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 486,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $62,203,571.56. This represents a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 106,592 shares of company stock worth $13,436,513 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target on Walmart to $150 from $145 and reiterated a Buy rating, citing strong grocery traffic and expectations that momentum will continue. TD Cowen Boosts Target on Walmart (WMT) Amid Strong Grocery Traffic
• Positive Sentiment: Sam’s Club said its Member’s Mark community has grown to more than 150,000 participants, highlighting strong customer engagement and a product-development advantage that could help Walmart compete better with Costco. Sam’s Club’s Member’s Mark™ Community Surges to Over 150,000 Participants
• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer said he’d buy Walmart, reinforcing the view that the stock remains a defensive consumer-staples name with durable demand. Jim Cramer Reveals Why He’d Buy Walmart (WMT)
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports that Walmart and Amazon are adapting to slower consumer spending point to a more cautious retail backdrop, but also suggest these platforms may gain share as shoppers become more value-focused. Amazon and Walmart Turn to Platform Economics as Consumer Spending Slows
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage around inflation, tariffs, and grocery pricing underscores that Walmart may have room to raise prices, but it also risks pressuring price-sensitive shoppers if inflation stays sticky. Walmart signals potential price increases as food producers focus on margins (WMT)
• Negative Sentiment: News of executive departures during Walmart’s leadership transition raises uncertainty around management continuity as John Furner prepares to take over as CEO. Walmart (WMT) Faces Executive Departures Amid Leadership Transition

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on WMT shares. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. KeyCorp reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Freedom Capital raised shares of Walmart from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Erste Group Bank raised shares of Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, Bank of America started coverage on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $150.00 price target on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.71.

Walmart Price Performance

Walmart stock opened at $118.90 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 52 week low of $93.43 and a 52 week high of $135.15. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $126.24 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $120.64. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock has a market cap of $947.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.72, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.65.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.61 EPS. Walmart’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

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.