QRG Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) by 4.9% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 874,800 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 40,799 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for 0.7% of QRG Capital Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest position. QRG Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $99,080,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Walmart in the first quarter worth approximately $29,000. Montgomery Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. Sankala Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Copos Capital S.a r.l. purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter worth $34,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other news, EVP Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 201,672 shares in the company, valued at $21,246,145.20. This trade represents a 20.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 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 Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,950 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.14, for a total transaction of $415,303.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 622,349 shares in the company, valued at $65,433,773.86. This trade represents a 0.63% 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. Insiders sold a total of 81,004 shares of company stock worth $8,601,724 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.
Walmart Price Performance
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.The business’s revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.68 earnings per share. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Key Stories Impacting Walmart
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart opened a new Neighborhood Market in Mesquite, Texas, expanding its grocery, pharmacy and everyday-essentials footprint. The smaller-format store could support local sales growth and provide additional omnichannel fulfillment capacity. Walmart Opens New Neighborhood Market in Mesquite, Texas
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to identify Walmart as a beneficiary of omnichannel growth, private-label expansion, loyalty programs, retail media and automation. These businesses could help drive sales and improve productivity over time. 3 Supermarket Stocks Set to Benefit From Omnichannel & Loyalty Growth
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart is reportedly expanding predictive precision targeting at Sam’s Club to increase advertising revenue. Retail media generally carries attractive margins and could diversify Walmart’s earnings beyond traditional retail. Walmart Launches Predictive Precision Targeting at Sam’s Club
- Neutral Sentiment: Walmart remains highlighted among leading e-commerce stocks, but the article provides limited new company-specific information or financial estimates. Best Ecommerce Stocks To Consider
- Neutral Sentiment: Technical commentary describes Walmart as a potential retail recovery setup, but the stock still faces key market and earnings tests. Walmart, Target and Costco Forecast
- Negative Sentiment: A report that Walmart recently posted its lowest operating margin in nine years raises concern about profitability, particularly as the company invests in pricing, wages, technology and expansion. This is important because WMT trades at a premium valuation.
- Negative Sentiment: Senators are urging the FTC to scrutinize Walmart’s Sparky AI shopping assistant. Regulatory attention could increase compliance costs or limit the benefits of Walmart’s AI initiatives. Senators Push FTC to Scrutinize Sparky AI
- Negative Sentiment: Walmart’s renewed healthcare strategy follows an earlier costly retreat, creating execution risk and potentially weighing on returns if the business again fails to reach scale. Two Years After a Costly Retreat, Walmart Tries Health Again
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of equities analysts recently commented on WMT shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Gordon Haskett cut Walmart from a “buy” rating to an “accumulate” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Mizuho set a $130.00 price objective on Walmart in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Finally, Tigress Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $155.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, August 31st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $131.88.
View Our Latest Stock Report on Walmart
Walmart Company Profile
Walmart Inc is a multinational retail and technology company that operates supercenters, discount stores, neighborhood markets, e-commerce platforms and membership warehouse clubs. Its merchandise includes groceries, apparel, electronics, home goods, health and beauty products, general merchandise and other consumer products.
Founded by Sam Walton in 1962 and incorporated in 1969, Walmart is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas. The company serves customers through operations in the United States and international markets, including Mexico, Canada, China, India and several countries in Central America and Africa.
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