12,120 Walmart Inc. $WMT Shares Sold by Banque Pictet & Cie SA

Key Points

• Banque Pictet & Cie SA reduced its Walmart position by 22.1%, selling 12,120 shares in the third quarter and retaining 42,706 shares valued at approximately $4.44 million. Other institutional investors generally increased their holdings, with institutions owning 26.76% of Walmart.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish on Walmart: the stock has an average “Buy” rating and a consensus price target of $132.41, supported by expectations for growth in e-commerce, advertising, marketplace services and Walmart+ memberships.
• Walmart recently beat quarterly expectations, reporting $187.94 billion in revenue and $0.81 in earnings per share, while revenue grew 5.9% year over year. However, executives—including the CEO—have sold shares under pre-arranged trading plans, and elevated valuation and rising costs remain risks.

Banque Pictet & Cie SA lessened its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 22.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 42,706 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 12,120 shares during the quarter. Banque Pictet & Cie SA's holdings in Walmart were worth $4,438,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of WMT. Rise Advisors LLC grew its stake in Walmart by 11.8% in the 3rd quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 5,073 shares of the retailer's stock worth $527,000 after acquiring an additional 535 shares during the period. James T. Borello RIA acquired a new position in Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at $129,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 9.7% during the 3rd quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 9,784 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,017,000 after purchasing an additional 864 shares during the period. YANKCOM Partnership lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter. YANKCOM Partnership now owns 11,309 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,175,000 after purchasing an additional 301 shares during the period. Finally, Financial & Tax Architects LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 8.9% during the 3rd quarter. Financial & Tax Architects LLC now owns 76,784 shares of the retailer's stock worth $7,979,000 after purchasing an additional 6,272 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. KeyCorp restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Tigress Financial reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Monday, August 31st. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $130.00 target price (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $140.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $130.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-three have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walmart presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $132.41.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO John Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.66, for a total value of $1,399,912.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 647,912 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $69,106,293.92. This trade represents a 1.99% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,990 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.41, for a total value of $416,595.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 618,359 shares in the company, valued at $64,562,863.19. The trade was a 0.64% decrease in their position. 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 ninety days, insiders sold 102,244 shares of company stock worth $11,112,044. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Walmart Price Performance

Walmart stock opened at $118.81 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $98.88 and a 1 year high of $135.15. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $108.82 and a 200 day moving average price of $116.23. The company has a market cap of $942.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.89, a PEG ratio of 4.53 and a beta of 0.58. 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 (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $187.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. Walmart's revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $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 earnings per share for the current year.

More Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank upgraded Walmart to Buy and raised its price target to $136 from $113. The bank cited a favorable 2027 outlook, inflation-driven customer traffic and growth opportunities in advertising, marketplace services and Walmart+ membership income. Walmart is a buy as inflation attracts more customers, says Deutsche Bank
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are increasingly valuing Walmart’s higher-margin revenue streams. The retailer’s global e-commerce sales rose 23% in the latest quarter, while marketplace, advertising and membership growth could improve profitability beyond its traditional low-price retail model. Walmart also raised fiscal 2027 adjusted EPS guidance to $2.80-$2.87. Walmart Stock Gets an Upgrade as Analyst Sees More Room to Run
• Positive Sentiment: Expanded employee benefits may support Walmart’s long-term investment story. The company added more than 250 free prescription drugs and up to 12 weeks of paid NICU leave. While benefits could raise costs, Deutsche Bank viewed the move alongside fee-based growth as evidence Walmart is investing in employee retention and more profitable operations. How Benefit Expansion At Walmart Has Changed Its Investment Story
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent operating results remain solid. Walmart’s latest quarterly revenue increased 5.9% year over year to $187.94 billion, and EPS exceeded analyst expectations. Faster pickup, delivery and digital initiatives could further support holiday sales and Walmart+ engagement, though the stock’s elevated valuation limits room for disappointment. Can Walmart’s Faster Shopping Options Boost Holiday Sales Growth?
• Negative Sentiment: Rising costs remain a risk. Walmart and Target are facing pressure from higher operating and merchandise costs, which could squeeze margins if the retailers cannot pass expenses on to consumers. Walmart, Target Face a New Price Problem as Costs Surge
• Negative Sentiment: Several executives reported stock sales, including CEO John Furner. The transactions were conducted under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans and executives retained substantial holdings, reducing their significance, but insider selling can still temper sentiment at recent highs.

About Walmart

Walmart Inc NASDAQ: WMT operates a global retail business through a network of supercenters, supermarkets, discount stores, neighborhood markets, warehouse clubs and e-commerce platforms. Its stores and websites sell a broad assortment of merchandise, including groceries, consumables, health and wellness products, apparel, electronics, home goods, toys and other general merchandise.

The company organizes its operations into Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam's Club U.S. Walmart U.S.

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