Pathfinder Wealth Consulting Inc. bought a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 11,480 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,279,000.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Collier Financial acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the third quarter worth $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the third quarter worth $28,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the third quarter worth $30,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Walmart Stock Performance
NASDAQ WMT opened at $120.27 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $958.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.20, a PEG ratio of 4.45 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $93.43 and a twelve month high of $135.15. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $126.77 and a 200 day simple moving average of $120.03. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several brokerages have recently issued reports on WMT. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $145.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 18th. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $137.00 price target (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, UBS Group set a $141.00 price objective on Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.71.
Read Our Latest Report on Walmart
Key Stories Impacting Walmart
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart posted solid first-quarter results, with revenue of $177.8 billion and EPS of $0.66, while e-commerce sales rose 26% and advertising revenue jumped 37%, highlighting continued strength in digital and membership-driven businesses.
- Positive Sentiment: Several analysts remained constructive after earnings: Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating and said Walmart is well positioned to gain share in a price-sensitive environment, while BTIG and BNP Paribas Exane also kept positive ratings despite modestly trimming price targets.
- Neutral Sentiment: Walmart disclosed pre-arranged insider sales by CEO John Furner and EVP Christopher James Nicholas, but both transactions were made under 10b5-1 plans, which typically limits how much investors read into them.
- Neutral Sentiment: News reports also noted leadership changes, including the departure of Sam’s Club COO Tom Ward and U.S. stores EVP Cedric Clark, adding some uncertainty but not appearing to change the company’s near-term operating outlook.
- Negative Sentiment: Shares weakened after Walmart issued second-quarter EPS guidance below consensus and reaffirmed full-year targets that also came in below Wall Street expectations, prompting concerns that margin pressure could continue.
- Negative Sentiment: Management said elevated fuel prices are pressuring both consumers and Walmart’s own costs, reinforcing worries that spending could soften and profitability could stay under pressure in the coming quarters.
Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart
In other Walmart news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total transaction of $2,555,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 486,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $62,203,571.56. This represents a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.21, for a total transaction of $2,566,989.36. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,193,995 shares in the company, valued at $554,488,078.95. This trade represents a 0.46% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 126,008 shares of company stock valued at $15,896,715. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Walmart Company 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.
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