Strait & Sound Wealth Management LLC Invests $2.86 Million in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Strait & Sound Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 25,272 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $2,862,000. Walmart makes up approximately 1.0% of Strait & Sound Wealth Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest holding.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Walmart by 57.4% during the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the period. Sankala Group LLC bought a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on WMT. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $128.00 target price (down from $137.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. DA Davidson set a $132.00 price target on Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $113.00 price objective on Walmart in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $131.88.

Key Stories Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart agreed to pay $50 million to settle U.S. Justice Department allegations involving improperly filled opioid prescriptions. Although the settlement carries a financial cost and reputational risk, it is viewed favorably because it resolves litigation that had exposed the company to potentially billions of dollars in civil penalties. Walmart described the payment as immaterial. Walmart escapes major legal penalty for a fraction of the cost
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s U.S. marketplace sales increased 52%, supported by a broader product selection, greater use of fulfillment services and international expansion in Mexico and Canada. Sustaining this momentum could improve e-commerce growth and marketplace profitability. Walmart’s Marketplace Momentum Builds
• Positive Sentiment: Tigress Financial reaffirmed its buy rating and set a $155 price target, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels. This reflects confidence in Walmart’s long-term earnings and growth prospects. Benzinga analyst rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary highlights Walmart’s 53-year record of dividend increases and notes that the stock is well below its peak. However, its dividend yield remains relatively low and its valuation is still elevated compared with the broader market. Walmart dividend analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group Bank lowered its fiscal 2027 EPS estimates, signaling expectations for slower earnings growth or increased cost pressure. Walmart’s recent earnings-related share-price weakness also indicates that investors remain sensitive to the company’s premium valuation. FY2027 EPS Estimates for Walmart Cut

Walmart Stock Performance

WMT opened at $104.87 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $834.56 billion, a PE ratio of 37.86, a P/E/G ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.61. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $111.65 and a two-hundred day moving average of $120.24. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $95.79 and a 12-month high of $135.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.68 EPS. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total transaction of $413,891.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 630,009 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $69,074,186.76. This represents a 0.60% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through 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 that occurred on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total value of $5,335,345.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 201,672 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,246,145.20. This trade represents a 20.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 ninety days, insiders have sold 77,292 shares of company stock worth $8,421,143. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.