Boston Research & Management Inc. Has $12.53 Million Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Boston Research & Management Inc. decreased its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 12.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 112,494 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 16,427 shares during the quarter. Walmart makes up 2.9% of Boston Research & Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest position. Boston Research & Management Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $12,532,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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 $27,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Walmart by 57.4% during 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 period. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in Walmart by 193.0% during the 4th quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding its drone delivery program with Alphabet’s Wing, adding another fast-delivery capability that could strengthen its e-commerce and convenience moat. Eyes on the sky: Walmart and Alphabet’s Wing expand their drone delivery program
• Positive Sentiment: Business Insider reported that Walmart’s AI-powered warehouses are speeding up freight handling and reducing the time store employees need to unload trucks, a sign that automation is improving efficiency and potentially margins. Walmart’s AI-powered warehouses are slashing the time it takes store employees to unload trucks
• Positive Sentiment: Recent conference appearances suggest management is highlighting Walmart’s growth in digital, e-commerce, and higher-margin services, which may reinforce the long-term bull case for the stock. Walmart Inc. (WMT) Presents at Oppenheimer 26th Annual Consumer Growth and E-Commerce Conference Transcript Walmart Inc. (WMT) Presents at The 6th Annual Evercore Consumer & Retail Conference Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain split on Walmart, indicating the market is still weighing the company’s growth initiatives against its valuation. Analysts Have Conflicting Sentiments on These Consumer Goods Companies: Walmart (WMT), Campbell Soup (CPB) and JM Smucker (SJM)
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage around Walmart’s retail media expansion, Subway integration, and broader digital transformation has raised questions about valuation, but also underscores the company’s push into higher-margin services. Walmart Media Expansion And Delivery Push Raise Questions For WMT Valuation Walmart (WMT) Valuation Check As Subway Integration And Higher Margin Services Draw New Attention Walmart’s No. 2 Ranking Hides a Digital Transformation Story

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total value of $359,368.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 577,853 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $71,607,543.76. This trade represents a 0.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.77, for a total value of $167,212.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 635,593 shares in the company, valued at approximately $85,023,275.61. The trade was a 0.20% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 117,008 shares of company stock worth $14,492,704. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on WMT shares. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Guggenheim increased their price objective on Walmart from $120.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. UBS Group set a $141.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday. One 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. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $138.85.

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WMT opened at $120.59 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $125.43 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $121.56. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $93.43 and a twelve month high of $135.15. The stock has a market cap of $959.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.31, a PEG ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

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. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The firm had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.61 EPS. The company’s 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. As a group, equities analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.