Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) by 4.8% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 195,790 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,971 shares during the quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Walmart were worth $22,175,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Walmart during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Walmart by 57.4% in the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Sankala Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda. purchased a new position in shares of Walmart in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company’s stock.
Walmart Price Performance
Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $115.27 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $917.33 billion, a PE ratio of 40.45, a PEG ratio of 4.32 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $95.42 and a 1-year high of $135.15. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $114.34 and a 200-day moving average price of $121.52.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several brokerages recently weighed in on WMT. Erste Group Bank cut Walmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 target price (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, May 7th. KeyCorp reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Walmart from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.56.
Check Out Our Latest Report on WMT
Key Headlines Impacting Walmart
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s e-commerce business continues to be viewed as a significant growth engine, with its digital capabilities increasingly resembling a broader commerce platform rather than a traditional big-box retailer. Walmart’s E-Commerce Engine Roars
- Positive Sentiment: Jefferies said potential tariff refunds could support Walmart’s price-leadership strategy. Reinvesting the money in lower prices could widen its price gap with competitors and help drive market-share gains, particularly in consumables. Walmart set for in-line Q2
- Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “Outperform” rating, providing some support for the long-term investment case despite near-term sales concerns. RBC Reaffirms Outperform Rating
- Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is expected to deliver largely in-line second-quarter results. The key catalysts are management’s second-half outlook, tariff-refund treatment and the potential effect on pricing and margins. Walmart Q2 earnings preview
- Neutral Sentiment: The company will release results before the market opens on August 20 and host a conference call with CEO John Furner and CFO John David Rainey. Walmart to Host Second Quarter Earnings Conference Call
- Negative Sentiment: Deutsche Bank expects Walmart to miss second-quarter comparable-sales estimates, while high gasoline prices are pressuring household budgets and raising the retailer’s operating costs. Walmart Seen Missing Comparable Sales Estimates
- Negative Sentiment: Analysts have cited elevated fuel costs, rising expenses and valuation concerns as reasons for Walmart’s recent weakness, despite solid revenue growth and e-commerce momentum. Walmart Stock Slides About 12% in 3 Months
- Negative Sentiment: Amazon’s AI-powered Alexa shopping tools could intensify competition for grocery-list creation and digital shopping relationships, areas strategically important to Walmart’s e-commerce growth. Amazon’s Alexa Shopping Strategy
Insider Transactions at Walmart
In related news, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.63, for a total value of $2,303,320.08. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,174,579 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $495,230,306.77. The trade was a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 owned 661,037 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $82,021,470.96. This trade represents a 1.95% 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 quarter, insiders sold 70,189 shares of company stock worth $8,377,320. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.
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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