SouthState Bank Corp Increases Stake in Walmart Inc. $WMT

SouthState Bank Corp grew its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 3.9% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 265,896 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 10,018 shares during the period. Walmart comprises approximately 1.5% of SouthState Bank Corp’s portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest holding. SouthState Bank Corp’s holdings in Walmart were worth $33,046,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth approximately $6,458,529,000. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 188.1% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,199,907,000 after buying an additional 7,614,172 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Walmart by 6.8% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $11,426,753,000 after purchasing an additional 6,517,394 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors purchased a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth approximately $592,848,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised 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 worth $49,015,626,000 after acquiring an additional 4,304,436 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart continues to benefit from strong momentum in higher-margin businesses such as advertising, membership, and e-commerce, which are growing faster than its core store operations and supporting the long-term growth story. Where Will Walmart Stock Be in 5 Years?
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart just announced its 53rd dividend increase, reinforcing its appeal as a defensive, income-producing stock for investors looking for steady cash returns. Walmart just declared its 53rd dividend increase
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage also highlights Walmart+ membership growth and faster delivery as drivers of recurring revenue and deeper customer engagement, which could help sustain sales momentum. Can Walmart+ Membership Keep WMT’s Growth Momentum Alive?

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on WMT. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their price target on shares of Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price target (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 18th. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $137.00 price target (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.85.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.19, for a total transaction of $342,751.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 574,953 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $67,953,695.07. This represents a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale 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 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 transaction of $1,308,670.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 120,203 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,300,550.91. This trade represents a 8.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 103,170 shares of company stock valued at $12,692,133. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Walmart Stock Down 0.9%

Walmart stock opened at $113.70 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $119.80 and a two-hundred day moving average of $122.07. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $94.43 and a twelve 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 stock has a market capitalization of $904.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.89, a PEG ratio of 4.28 and a beta of 0.60.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. Walmart’s revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.61 EPS. 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, research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

About Walmart

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.