Navigation Group LLC Makes New $662,000 Investment in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Navigation Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 5,325 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $662,000.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth approximately $6,458,529,000. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Walmart by 188.1% in the 3rd 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 boosted its position in Walmart by 6.8% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $11,426,753,000 after buying an additional 6,517,394 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $592,848,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.0% in 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 during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walmart Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $112.53 on Thursday. 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 Inc. has a 12 month low of $94.43 and a 12 month high of $135.15. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $119.44 and a 200 day simple moving average of $122.08. The stock has a market cap of $895.52 billion, a PE ratio of 39.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.24 and a beta of 0.60.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates 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 the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.61 earnings per share. The firm’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. Research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.19, for a total transaction of $342,751.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 574,953 shares in the company, valued at approximately $67,953,695.07. The trade was a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total transaction 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 position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 87,145 shares of company stock worth $10,691,920 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart, General Mills, and ADM announced a collaboration to expand regenerative agriculture across 40,000 Midwest wheat acres, a move that supports the company’s sustainability goals and could strengthen supplier relationships over time. General Mills, ADM, Walmart Partner to Accelerate Regenerative Agriculture Across 40,000 Midwest Wheat Acres
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart highlighted its back-to-school push, emphasizing low prices, convenience, and style, which could support near-term traffic and seasonal sales as families shop for the new school year. Walmart Helps Americans Navigate Their Annual Back-to-School Reset with Unmatched Value, Convenience and Style
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart declared its 53rd dividend increase, reinforcing its reputation as a dependable income stock and signaling management confidence in cash generation. Walmart just declared its 53rd dividend increase
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage comparing Walmart with Johnson & Johnson framed both as defensive names with different strategies, but it did not introduce a clear new catalyst for WMT shares. Walmart vs Johnson & Johnson: Two Defensive Plays, Diverging Strategies and One Winner
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media pieces again raised valuation concerns, noting Walmart’s high earnings multiple and suggesting the stock may be expensive after a strong multi-year run, which can cap upside even if fundamentals remain solid. Walmart (WMT) Stock Could Be 16% Overvalued Following Dividend Hike
• Negative Sentiment: A Zacks note said Walmart stock sank while the broader market gained, pointing to relative weakness and reinforcing investor concern that the shares may be losing momentum. Walmart (WMT) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: Here’s Why
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive commentary from Jefferies favoring Amazon as a cheaper way to gain exposure to AI infrastructure and retail may pressure Walmart by reminding investors of stronger alternatives in retail-related exposure. AMZN Stock Is Cheaper Than WMT And GOOGL
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that some Spark delivery workers are frustrated by a new app feature could indicate operational friction in Walmart’s delivery network, though the financial impact is unclear for now. Walmart delivery workers say a new app feature is sending them running around stores

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on WMT shares. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 18th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, April 20th. KeyCorp restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Truist Financial set a $140.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note 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 assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.85.

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.