Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC decreased its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) by 2.2% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 813,060 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 18,360 shares during the quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $101,047,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 4,304,436 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $19,046,104,000 after purchasing an additional 2,242,364 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 6.8% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $11,426,753,000 after purchasing an additional 6,517,394 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at $6,458,529,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Walmart by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,626,852 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,526,238,000 after buying an additional 328,229 shares during the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Walmart Trading Up 1.5%
Shares of WMT traded up $1.69 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $113.90. 12,452,368 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 21,901,888. The firm has a market cap of $906.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.97, a PEG ratio of 4.25 and a beta of 0.60. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $94.23 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 0.42. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $120.48 and its 200 day moving average price is $121.96.
Key Walmart News
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart is rolling out more wellness benefits at Sam’s Club, including Weight Watchers perks, which could deepen member loyalty, support renewals, and boost recurring membership revenue. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart is also getting attention for broad price cuts across groceries and household staples, which should help reinforce its reputation as a defensive, inflation-fighting retailer and drive traffic to stores and clubs. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer said Walmart is one of the “greatest companies on earth” and called the recent pullback an “incredible buying opportunity,” helping support sentiment around the stock. Article Title
- Neutral Sentiment: Commentary around Walmart’s health event and its AI shopping efforts highlights longer-term strategic investments, but these items are more thematic than immediate catalysts for the stock. Article Title
- Neutral Sentiment: Coverage comparing Walmart’s AI shopping race with Amazon underscores competitive pressure in retail tech, but it does not point to any near-term operational setback for Walmart. Article Title
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of research analysts have weighed in on WMT shares. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. UBS Group set a $141.00 target price on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Truist Financial set a $140.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Guggenheim upped their price target on shares of Walmart from $120.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane reduced their price objective on shares of Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walmart has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.85.
Read Our Latest Analysis on WMT
Insiders Place Their Bets
In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 630,009 shares in the company, valued at approximately $69,074,186.76. The trade was a 0.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.84, for a total value of $1,638,525.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 674,162 shares in the company, valued at approximately $84,162,384.08. This trade represents a 1.91% 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. Over the last three months, insiders sold 104,505 shares of company stock worth $12,858,514. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
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.
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