Aristotle Atlantic Partners LLC Makes New Investment in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Aristotle Atlantic Partners LLC purchased a new position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 14,715 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,829,000.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walmart in the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Walmart by 57.4% during the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 193.0% during the fourth quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 293 shares of the retailer's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 193 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sankala Group LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WMT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, May 18th. UBS Group set a $141.00 target price on shares of Walmart and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Truist Financial set a $140.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $137.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walmart has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $138.85.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total transaction of $413,891.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 630,009 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $69,074,186.76. This trade represents a 0.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The shares were 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 directly 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 67,729 shares of company stock worth $8,124,931. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Walmart News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reportedly reaffirmed an Outperform rating on Walmart, a supportive signal that may help bolster investor confidence. Walmart NASDAQ: WMT Earns Outperform Rating from Royal Bank Of Canada
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart was highlighted as a wide-moat, sustainable growth stock, reinforcing the view that it can keep delivering steady results even in choppy markets. Top Wide-Moat Stocks to Invest in for Sustainable Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart partnered with ReturnPro to refurbish and resell returned products, which could improve e-commerce efficiency and reduce losses from returns. Walmart (WMT) Partners With ReturnPro To Resell Returned Products
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage suggesting Walmart may be a solid growth stock could keep investors focused on its durable financial performance and scale advantages. Is Walmart (WMT) a Solid Growth Stock? 3 Reasons to Think "Yes"
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are closely watching Walmart ahead of earnings, with previews focusing on what the company may report rather than providing a fresh catalyst by themselves. Walmart's quarterly earnings preview: What you need to know
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart being one of Zacks’ most-searched stocks indicates strong investor interest, but not necessarily a direct fundamental driver. Investors Heavily Search Walmart Inc. (WMT): Here is What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles discussing Walmart’s dividend profile may appeal to income investors, but they are unlikely to move the stock on their own. Does Walmart pay dividends? Its yield & payouts explained
• Negative Sentiment: One article noted Walmart’s extended share-price weakness and suggested the stock could be in a comeback setup, reflecting lingering concern after a recent downtrend. Walmart stock’s extended downturn could trigger a possible comeback
• Negative Sentiment: A bearish comparison piece argued investors might prefer another stock over WMT, citing weaker recent share performance and softer quarterly results. 3 Reasons to Sell WMT and 1 Stock to Buy Instead

Walmart Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $109.47 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $871.17 billion, a PE ratio of 38.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.60. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $95.42 and a 1 year high of $135.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The firm's 50-day moving average is $116.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $121.97.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.61 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. Analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current year.

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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