Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) by 0.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 40,626,852 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 328,229 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for approximately 1.5% of Fisher Asset Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest position. Fisher Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $4,526,238,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of WMT. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 188.1% during the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,199,907,000 after purchasing an additional 7,614,172 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Walmart by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $49,015,626,000 after purchasing an additional 4,304,436 shares during the last quarter. Amundi raised its position in shares of Walmart by 20.5% during the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 23,497,921 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,413,236,000 after purchasing an additional 4,004,277 shares during the last quarter. Danske Bank A S acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth about $294,621,000. Finally, Axxcess Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 1,061.8% during the 4th quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,042,724 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $338,989,000 after purchasing an additional 2,780,817 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.
Key Headlines 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 Activity at Walmart
Walmart Price Performance
Shares of NASDAQ WMT opened at $120.27 on Monday. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $93.43 and a 12-month high of $135.15. The stock has a market cap of $958.67 billion, a PE ratio of 42.20, a P/E/G ratio of 4.45 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The company has a 50-day moving average of $126.77 and a 200 day moving average of $120.16.
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.61 EPS. Walmart’s revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. 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, sell-side analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
WMT has been the subject of several research analyst reports. UBS Group set a $141.00 price target on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Argus upgraded shares of Walmart to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, May 18th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price target (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, DA Davidson set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.71.
Read Our Latest Analysis on Walmart
About Walmart
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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