Apella Capital LLC Increases Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Apella Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 210.0% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 62,621 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 42,418 shares during the quarter. Apella Capital LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $7,984,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $49,015,626,000 after buying an additional 4,304,436 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Walmart by 1.2% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $19,046,104,000 after purchasing an additional 2,242,364 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 6.8% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $11,426,753,000 after purchasing an additional 6,517,394 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $6,458,529,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,626,852 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,526,238,000 after purchasing an additional 328,229 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ WMT opened at $115.69 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $123.74 and its 200-day moving average price is $122.17. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $94.23 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. The company has a market cap of $920.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.59, a P/E/G ratio of 4.32 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The company had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.61 earnings per share. Walmart’s revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts said Walmart’s reported deal for Vibe.co strengthens its advertising strategy and could support long-term revenue growth, helping investors see the company as more than just a low-margin retailer. Prediction: Walmart Will Rejoin the $1 Trillion Club by 2027. Here’s Why It’s a Great Buy Now.
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding Shapermint into 1,600 more stores nationwide, adding another growth initiative outside core grocery sales and reinforcing its push into higher-margin apparel and lifestyle categories. Walmart (WMT) Expands Shapermint Into 1,600 More Stores Nationwide
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Walmart’s long-term scale and growth prospects suggests the stock remains attractive for investors who believe its advertising, marketplace, and omnichannel businesses can expand profits over time. Walmart vs. Target: Which Stock Offers Better Long-Term Value?
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles compared Walmart with rivals like Target and Amazon, reflecting investor focus on competitive positioning rather than a clear new catalyst for earnings. Walmart Wants to Turn the Living Room Into a Storefront
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports that Amazon has surpassed Walmart as the largest U.S. retailer by GMV and commentary that Walmart has fallen out of the $1 trillion club may weigh on sentiment, but these were framed more as strategic context than immediate fundamental damage. Amazon Unseats Walmart as Top US Retailer

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 22nd. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 price objective (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, May 7th. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Walmart currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.85.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walmart news, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 11,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.97, for a total value of $1,308,670.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 120,203 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,300,550.91. This represents a 8.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total value of $1,435,203.96. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,985,527.94. This trade represents a 8.74% 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. Insiders have sold a total of 100,730 shares of company stock worth $12,444,624 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

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.