Walmart Inc. $WMT Stock: Russell Investments Group Ltd. Decreases Stake

Russell Investments Group Ltd. lessened its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 2,839,833 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 10,762 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $295,550,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Ariadne Wealth Management LP grew its holdings in Walmart by 31.5% during the third quarter. Ariadne Wealth Management LP now owns 2,393 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $249,000 after purchasing an additional 573 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co. Ltd. increased its position in Walmart by 10.9% in the third quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 5,315 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $552,000 after buying an additional 523 shares in the last quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 6.8% in the third quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 2,326,227 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $241,742,000 after buying an additional 148,190 shares during the period. Allen Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.3% in the third quarter. Allen Investment Management LLC now owns 180,953 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,806,000 after buying an additional 2,285 shares during the period. Finally, Verus Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 18.0% during the 3rd quarter. Verus Capital Partners LLC now owns 19,067 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,981,000 after buying an additional 2,906 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.

Walmart Stock Up 0.4%

NASDAQ WMT opened at $126.19 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $98.88 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 0.41. The stock has a market cap of $1.00 trillion, a PE ratio of 44.41, a P/E/G ratio of 4.54 and a beta of 0.53. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $114.14 and its 200 day moving average is $118.74.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The company’s revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.68 EPS. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. Research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on WMT. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $125.00 price objective (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, October 20th. DA Davidson restated a “buy” rating and set a $132.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $130.00 price target (down from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Walmart from $125.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $131.51.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.35, for a total transaction of $5,335,345.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 201,672 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,246,145.20. This trade represents a 20.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, EVP Latriece Watkins sold 5,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.00, for a total transaction of $575,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 110,432 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,699,680. This represents a 4.33% 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 268,222 shares of company stock valued at $31,604,051 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Top Walmart Stories

Here are a few of the latest stories about WMT:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst previews point to a possible Q3 earnings beat, with value pricing, digital growth and resilient consumer demand among the supportive factors. A recent report also described Walmart as a long-term momentum stock. Walmart earnings expected to grow
• Positive Sentiment: ETF purchases totaling $112.9 million on Nov. 10 indicate institutional fund demand that may provide additional support for the shares. 34 ETFs add to Walmart
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart will report third-quarter results and host its investor call on Nov. 19. The release is a near-term catalyst, as investors look for evidence of a rebound after a weak Q2 and whether results can support the stock’s valuation. Walmart to host third-quarter earnings conference call

About Walmart

Walmart is a multinational retailer that operates discount stores, supercenters, neighborhood markets, and membership warehouse clubs. Its business includes Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam’s Club. The company sells groceries and a broad range of general merchandise, including apparel, electronics, household goods, and health and wellness products. Walmart also serves customers through e-commerce, with services such as order pickup and delivery. Founded by Sam Walton in 1962, Walmart is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas.