ABN AMRO Bank N.V. Purchases 27,065 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• ABN AMRO Bank N.V. increased its Walmart stake by 105.4% in the fourth quarter, buying 27,065 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 52,740 shares valued at about $5.87 million.
• Several other institutional investors also adjusted their positions, and overall institutional ownership of Walmart stands at 26.76% of the stock.
• Wall Street remains largely bullish on Walmart, with a consensus Buy rating and an average price target of $138.33, even as some analysts raised targets and others noted margin pressure and insider selling.

ABN AMRO Bank N.V. raised its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 105.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 52,740 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 27,065 shares during the period. ABN AMRO Bank N.V.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $5,868,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of WMT. Fox Run Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth $1,709,000. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Walmart by 16.6% in the 3rd quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 63,782 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $6,567,000 after purchasing an additional 9,061 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,010,886 shares of the retailer's stock worth $104,182,000 after purchasing an additional 28,026 shares during the last quarter. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners boosted its position in shares of Walmart by 466.6% in the 3rd quarter. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners now owns 13,343 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,375,000 after purchasing an additional 10,988 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tradewinds LLC. acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart during the third quarter worth $11,077,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on WMT shares. HSBC downgraded Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and upped their price objective for the company from $122.00 to $131.00 in a report on Friday, February 20th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $120.00 price target on Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $134.00 price objective (up from $129.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, February 27th. They set a "buy" rating and a $150.00 price objective for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walmart presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $138.33.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.79, for a total transaction of $2,555,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 486,764 shares of the company's stock, valued at $62,203,571.56. This represents a 3.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.71, for a total value of $2,460,201.36. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,023,209 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $509,780,812.39. The trade was a 0.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 167,195 shares of company stock worth $20,975,804. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley revisited Walmart’s stock ahead of earnings, a sign that major analysts are still actively monitoring the name and may update their outlook based on the upcoming report. Morgan Stanley revisits Walmart stock price target pre-earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s recent long-term stock performance remains strong, with shares up sharply over the past year, which can support investor confidence despite short-term volatility. Is It Too Late To Consider Walmart (WMT) After Its Strong 1 Year Share Price Run?
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s stock was identified as falling while the broader market gained, reflecting sector rotation and profit-taking rather than a company-specific shock. Walmart (WMT) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: Here's Why
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data showed no meaningful borrowing activity, so this does not currently point to a major bearish trading setup in the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst commentary highlighted pressure on Walmart’s margins as grocery and health categories grow, suggesting profitability may remain under scrutiny even as sales trends hold up. Walmart's Category Mix Pressures Margins: More Pain Ahead?
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart is preparing for California’s new $18 minimum wage rules, which could add labor cost pressure in a key market and weigh on margins. Walmart braces for new $18 California law — it's slightly different for every city
• Negative Sentiment: Target’s new push to win back families, starting in the baby aisle, adds competitive pressure in a category where Walmart competes for budget-conscious shoppers. Target is trying to win back busy families from Walmart, starting with the baby aisle

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of WMT opened at $127.59 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $126.07 and a 200 day simple moving average of $118.54. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $91.89 and a 52-week high of $134.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.02 trillion, a PE ratio of 46.57, a P/E/G ratio of 4.86 and a beta of 0.65.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The firm had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $188.37 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.66 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Investors of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a $0.2475 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. Walmart's dividend payout ratio is presently 36.13%.

Walmart Company 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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