BNP Paribas Lowers Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

BNP Paribas lowered its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 42.4% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 219,430 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 161,218 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for 0.7% of BNP Paribas’ investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest holding. BNP Paribas’ holdings in Walmart were worth $24,652,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Walmart by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,561 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $285,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Walmart by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,955 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $552,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Ellenbecker Investment Group boosted its holdings in Walmart by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Ellenbecker Investment Group now owns 14,475 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,613,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Matrix Trust Co boosted its holdings in Walmart by 20.0% in the fourth quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 547 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $61,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 4.1% during the fourth quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,362 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $263,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have commented on WMT shares. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and set a $137.00 price objective (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Tigress Financial restated a “buy” rating and set a $155.00 price objective (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday. Truist Financial set a $140.00 price objective on Walmart in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane dropped their target price on Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.85.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart said its drones have now completed more than 1 million deliveries, highlighting momentum in its fast-growing delivery network and reinforcing its push to improve convenience and speed for shoppers. Walmart Marks Millionth Drone Drop-Off Amid Increased Delivery Focus
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart expanded 30-minute delivery to 33 U.S. markets, strengthening its competitive position in grocery, pharmacy, and everyday essentials as e-commerce demand continues to rise. Walmart’s 30-Minute Delivery Expansion Strengthens Its Retail Edge
• Positive Sentiment: Tigress Financial reportedly raised its price target on Walmart, citing AI investments gaining traction, which suggests some analysts still see upside from the company’s technology and automation efforts. Walmart (WMT) Gets Higher Price Target from Tigress Financial as AI Investments Gain Traction
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is expanding its private-brand selection with new hardware and home products, a move that could help it win value-conscious shoppers, but the near-term stock impact is likely modest. Walmart Expands Private Brand Selection as Shoppers Cut Back
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent insider stock sales by executives, including C. Douglas McMillon and Latriece Watkins, may draw attention, but these transactions are not necessarily a negative signal for the business itself. C Douglas Mcmillon Sells 19,416 Shares of Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Stock Latriece Watkins Sells 11,000 Shares of Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Stock
• Negative Sentiment: A report that Walmart capped employee AI usage could be seen as a short-term operational constraint, potentially limiting efficiency gains from an area investors view as a future growth driver. Update: Market Chatter: Walmart Limits Staff’s Usage of AI Tool After High Demand

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total value of $2,303,320.08. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,174,579 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $495,230,306.77. The trade was a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through 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 company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.77, for a total value of $167,212.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 635,593 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $85,023,275.61. This trade represents a 0.20% 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 sold 117,008 shares of company stock valued at $14,492,704 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $114.60 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firm has a market cap of $913.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.21, a P/E/G ratio of 4.32 and a beta of 0.60. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $93.43 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $125.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $120.81.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) 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. The firm had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.Walmart’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.61 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share 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.