Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) by 2.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 168,325 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,427 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC’s holdings in Walmart were worth $17,492,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $7,455,131,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the second quarter valued at approximately $2,905,655,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the second quarter valued at approximately $796,677,000. Deutsche Bank AG raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 54.0% during the second quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 18,607,297 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,107,462,000 after acquiring an additional 6,525,224 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 44.4% during the second quarter. Amundi now owns 20,796,957 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,355,463,000 after acquiring an additional 6,393,326 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of analysts recently commented on the company. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $132.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $113.00 to $136.00 in a report on Thursday, October 15th. BNP Paribas Exane restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $137.00 price objective (down from $146.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of Walmart from $144.00 to $126.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $129.62.
Walmart Stock Down 1.7%
Shares of WMT traded down $2.20 on Friday, reaching $125.52. The stock had a trading volume of 24,820,838 shares, compared to its average volume of 20,341,588. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.77. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $98.88 and a 12-month high of $135.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $995.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $112.48 and a 200-day simple moving average of $118.59.
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm 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. Sell-side analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.88 EPS for the current year.
Insider Activity
In related news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,346 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.51, for a total value of $416,610.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 615,013 shares in the company, valued at $76,575,268.63. This trade represents a 0.54% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Christopher Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.60, for a total transaction of $349,740.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 563,353 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $67,940,371.80. This trade represents a 0.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 268,222 shares of company stock worth $31,604,051. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Key Stories Impacting Walmart
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: ETFs added a net $40.3 million of Walmart shares on Nov. 4, indicating institutional fund demand. 54 ETFs Add to Walmart (WMT) on Wednesday
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart is expanding its drone-delivery partnership with Zipline, which has raised $1.5 billion at a $21.5 billion valuation. A broader partnership could help Walmart improve delivery capabilities, though the articles do not specify its financial impact. Zipline hits $21.5B valuation as Walmart expands bet on drone delivery
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart is working with Meta to integrate its Muse AI shopping agent into the online shopping experience, a move that could create new ways to reach customers and facilitate purchases. What Is Walmart (WMT) Betting On With Its New AI Shopping Agent?
- Neutral Sentiment: A report on potential rate hikes discusses consumer-staples stocks as potentially attractive in that environment. Higher rates may also pressure valuations, so the implication for Walmart is mixed. Rate Hikes Could Be Coming: History Likes These 4 Consumer Staples Stocks
- Negative Sentiment: Walmart executive Suresh Kumar sold 166,342 shares. Insider sales can weigh on sentiment, although a sale alone does not establish a change in the company’s outlook. Walmart Stock: Insider Suresh Kumar Sells 166,342 Shares
Walmart Company Profile
Walmart is a multinational retailer that operates discount stores, supercenters, neighborhood markets, and membership warehouse clubs. Its business includes Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam’s Club.
The company sells groceries and a broad range of general merchandise, including apparel, electronics, household goods, and health and wellness products. Walmart also serves customers through e-commerce, with services such as order pickup and delivery.
Founded by Sam Walton in 1962, Walmart is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas.
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