National Pension Service boosted its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) by 7.1% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 9,812,461 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 651,720 shares during the period. Walmart makes up about 0.8% of National Pension Service’s holdings, making the stock its 17th largest holding. National Pension Service’s holdings in Walmart were worth $1,093,304,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fox Run Management L.L.C. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,709,000. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its holdings in Walmart by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,010,886 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $104,182,000 after acquiring an additional 28,026 shares during the period. Life Cycle Investment Partners Ltd purchased a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,855,000. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners boosted its holdings in Walmart by 466.6% in the 3rd quarter. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners now owns 13,343 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,375,000 after acquiring an additional 10,988 shares during the period. Finally, King Luther Capital Management Corp boosted its holdings in Walmart by 8.8% in the 4th quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp now owns 1,415,423 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $157,692,000 after acquiring an additional 113,952 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company’s stock.
Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart
In related news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total transaction of $2,555,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 486,764 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $62,203,571.56. This represents a 3.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company’s 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 approximately $82,021,470.96. This represents a 1.95% 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. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 106,592 shares of company stock worth $13,436,513. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Walmart Stock Performance
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The business’s revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.61 EPS. 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 research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.
Trending Headlines about Walmart
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target on Walmart to $150 from $145 and kept a Buy rating, citing continued strength in grocery traffic and resilient demand. TD Cowen Boosts Target on Walmart (WMT) Amid Strong Grocery Traffic
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s Sam’s Club business said its Member’s Mark community has grown to more than 150,000 participants, reinforcing customer engagement and supporting private-label product development. Sam’s Club’s Member’s Mark™ Community Surges to Over 150000 Participants
- Positive Sentiment: Commentary from Jim Cramer and other bullish coverage continues to frame Walmart as a defensive winner, with investors seeing the recent weakness as a potential buying opportunity. Jim Cramer Reveals Why He’d Buy Walmart (WMT)
- Neutral Sentiment: Coverage comparing Walmart with Target and other retailers highlighted Walmart’s 26% global e-commerce growth and improving higher-margin businesses, but it was more of an industry comparison than a direct catalyst. Target vs. Walmart: Which Retail Stock Is the Better Buy After Earnings?
- Neutral Sentiment: Reports that Walmart may be preparing for price increases and navigating tariff-related inflation pressures point to ongoing margin management, but the impact is uncertain. Walmart signals potential price increases as food producers focus on margins (WMT)
- Negative Sentiment: Several pieces focused on slower consumer spending, delayed discretionary purchases, and Walmart’s stock trading well below recent highs, which may be weighing on sentiment despite the company’s defensive profile. Amazon and Walmart Turn to Platform Economics as Consumer Spending Slows
- Negative Sentiment: Short-interest-related reporting and “in the red zone” commentary suggest some traders remain cautious on Walmart in the near term, even though the short-interest data itself appears inconsistent. Walmart tries cost-cutting supply chain model as stock stays in red zone
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
WMT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating and issued a $147.00 price target (up from $120.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price target on Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. HSBC cut Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $122.00 to $131.00 in a report on Friday, February 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $120.00 price target on Walmart in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Tigress Financial set a $150.00 price target on Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Two investment 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 company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.71.
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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