HighTower Advisors LLC Buys 70,418 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 2.5% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 2,929,072 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 70,418 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $326,328,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Walmart in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the third quarter worth $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WMT has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Argus upgraded Walmart to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and set a $147.00 target price (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Telsey Advisory Group raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. HSBC lowered shares of Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $122.00 to $131.00 in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 price target (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $138.88.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s push into AI and automation could support margins over time by improving fulfillment efficiency, boosting order values, and lowering operating costs. Walmart’s AI and Automation Push: Long-Term Cost Advantage?
• Positive Sentiment: Investor focus is turning to Walmart’s upcoming earnings report, with analysts watching key operating metrics beyond revenue and EPS for signs that the business is still executing well. Exploring Analyst Estimates for Walmart (WMT) Q1 Earnings, Beyond Revenue and EPS
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart remains a favored defensive retail name as investors compare it with other consumer staples and grocery operators during a volatile market backdrop. Forget Walmart. The Grocer Beating It on Trust and Margin Trades at a Third of the Multiple
• Neutral Sentiment: Several hedge fund filings showed mixed positioning in Walmart, with some managers adding shares and others trimming, which does not clearly change the near-term outlook. Moore Capital Management Boosts Walmart Stake by 3,454 Shares
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,250 shares in a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 transaction, adding a small insider-sale headline that may slightly pressure sentiment. SEC Form 4 filing
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market attention on geopolitical risk, including the Strait of Hormuz closure, may keep investors cautious and can weigh on sentiment even for defensive stocks like Walmart. NVDA, WMT Report This Week, but News on the Strait Is Key

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.46, for a total value of $1,214,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 108,294 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,153,389.24. This trade represents a 8.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 34,082 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $122.00, for a total transaction of $4,158,004.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 533,466 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,082,852. The trade was a 6.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 167,190 shares of company stock worth $20,975,838. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Price Performance

NASDAQ WMT opened at $133.34 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $126.57 and its 200-day moving average is $119.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The company has a market capitalization of $1.06 trillion, a PE ratio of 48.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.85 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $93.43 and a 12-month high of $134.69.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The firm had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $188.37 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.66 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a $0.2475 dividend. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. Walmart’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.13%.

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.