Swiss National Bank increased its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) by 7.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 12,864,800 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 848,400 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for 0.9% of Swiss National Bank’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest holding. Swiss National Bank owned 0.16% of Walmart worth $1,598,837,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of WMT. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart during the first quarter valued at about $29,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Walmart by 57.4% in the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC grew its position in Walmart by 193.0% in 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. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Key Headlines Impacting Walmart
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: June U.S. retail sales held up, suggesting consumers are still spending as Walmart heads into the back-to-school season; that could support traffic and sales volumes if the company remains aggressive on pricing. Retail Sales Hold Up as Walmart and Amazon Go Back to School
- Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is also being discussed in multiple market and analyst roundups, with commentary focusing on its strong digital growth and role as a defensive stock, but these pieces do not appear to include a major new business update. Walmart Commands a 36.74X Forward P/E: Is the Stock Worth Buying?
- Neutral Sentiment: An article about AI and retail highlighted that Walmart is investing in automation while still emphasizing workers, which reinforces its long-term strategy but is unlikely to move the stock on its own. Walmart’s people chief says these 10 jobs are still hot in the age of AI
- Negative Sentiment: Some analysts argue Walmart’s premium valuation leaves limited room for disappointment, with one note saying momentum alone may not justify the stock’s high forward P/E. Walmart’s Momentum Cannot Justify The Premium
- Negative Sentiment: Walmart has also been the subject of bearish commentary saying the recent sell-off may not be over, adding to investor caution around the shares. Walmart: The Sell-Off Isn’t Over Yet (Rating Upgrade)
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. UBS Group set a $141.00 target price on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 18th. BNP Paribas Exane decreased their price target on Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $140.00 price objective on Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.85.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on WMT
Insider Activity at Walmart
In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total value of $413,891.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 630,009 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $69,074,186.76. This trade represents a 0.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.08, for a total value of $1,628,550.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 661,037 shares in the company, valued at $82,021,470.96. This represents a 1.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 87,145 shares of company stock worth $10,691,920 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.
Walmart Trading Down 0.6%
NASDAQ:WMT opened at $114.24 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $94.43 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 0.42. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $118.82 and its 200 day moving average is $122.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $909.13 billion, a PE ratio of 40.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.26 and a beta of 0.60.
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 business had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.61 earnings per share. Walmart’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. Sell-side analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current 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.
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