Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Bought by Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund raised its stake in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 588.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,722,474 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,036,614 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for 0.9% of Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund owned about 0.06% of Walmart worth $586,909,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in 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 last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in Walmart by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $19,046,104,000 after buying an additional 2,242,364 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Walmart by 6.8% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $11,426,753,000 after buying an additional 6,517,394 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter worth $6,458,529,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,626,852 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,526,238,000 after acquiring an additional 328,229 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on WMT. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Tigress Financial restated a “buy” rating and issued a $155.00 price objective (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $137.00 price objective (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 11th. UBS Group set a $141.00 target price on Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, May 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.85.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reportedly reaffirmed an Outperform rating on Walmart, a supportive signal that may help bolster investor confidence. Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) Earns Outperform Rating from Royal Bank Of Canada
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart was highlighted as a wide-moat, sustainable growth stock, reinforcing the view that it can keep delivering steady results even in choppy markets. Top Wide-Moat Stocks to Invest in for Sustainable Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart partnered with ReturnPro to refurbish and resell returned products, which could improve e-commerce efficiency and reduce losses from returns. Walmart (WMT) Partners With ReturnPro To Resell Returned Products
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage suggesting Walmart may be a solid growth stock could keep investors focused on its durable financial performance and scale advantages. Is Walmart (WMT) a Solid Growth Stock? 3 Reasons to Think “Yes”
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are closely watching Walmart ahead of earnings, with previews focusing on what the company may report rather than providing a fresh catalyst by themselves. Walmart’s quarterly earnings preview: What you need to know
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart being one of Zacks’ most-searched stocks indicates strong investor interest, but not necessarily a direct fundamental driver. Investors Heavily Search Walmart Inc. (WMT): Here is What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles discussing Walmart’s dividend profile may appeal to income investors, but they are unlikely to move the stock on their own. Does Walmart pay dividends? Its yield & payouts explained
• Negative Sentiment: One article noted Walmart’s extended share-price weakness and suggested the stock could be in a comeback setup, reflecting lingering concern after a recent downtrend. Walmart stock’s extended downturn could trigger a possible comeback
• Negative Sentiment: A bearish comparison piece argued investors might prefer another stock over WMT, citing weaker recent share performance and softer quarterly results. 3 Reasons to Sell WMT and 1 Stock to Buy Instead

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the chief executive officer directly 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total value of $413,891.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 630,009 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $69,074,186.76. The trade was a 0.60% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 67,729 shares of company stock worth $8,124,931. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Performance

WMT opened at $109.47 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $95.42 and a 1-year high of $135.15. The stock has a market cap of $871.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.41, a P/E/G ratio of 4.04 and a beta of 0.60. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $116.75 and its 200 day simple moving average is $121.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The firm had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.Walmart’s revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $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. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS 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.