AustralianSuper Pty Ltd Has $96.84 Million Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• AustralianSuper Pty Ltd boosted its Walmart stake by 263.3% in the fourth quarter, ending with 869,251 shares worth about $96.84 million.
• Several other large investors also increased or initiated positions in Walmart, underscoring continued institutional interest in the stock.
• Walmart has been getting bullish analyst coverage ahead of earnings, with firms expecting solid Q1 results and multiple price targets raised as the stock trades near its 52-week high.

AustralianSuper Pty Ltd raised its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 263.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 869,251 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 629,960 shares during the quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd's holdings in Walmart were worth $96,843,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Walmart by 188.1% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,199,907,000 after buying an additional 7,614,172 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Walmart by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer's stock worth $49,015,626,000 after acquiring an additional 4,304,436 shares during the last quarter. Amundi grew its holdings in Walmart by 20.5% during the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 23,497,921 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,413,236,000 after acquiring an additional 4,004,277 shares during the last quarter. Danske Bank A S acquired a new position in Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $294,621,000. Finally, PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab acquired a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $280,736,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,335 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.63, for a total value of $166,381.05. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 636,843 shares in the company, valued at approximately $79,369,743.09. This trade represents a 0.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction 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, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.84, for a total transaction of $1,638,525.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 674,162 shares in the company, valued at $84,162,384.08. This represents a 1.91% decrease in their position. 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 three months, insiders sold 167,195 shares of company stock valued at $20,975,804. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS and other analysts expect Walmart to post a strong Q1, with sales growth and profit trends likely supporting another earnings beat. Walmart to Post Strong Q1, Extending Retail Lead on Sales Growth, UBS Says
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s earnings history and current setup suggest it could exceed expectations again, which is supporting bullish sentiment into the report. Walmart (WMT) Earnings Expected to Grow: What to Know Ahead of Next Week's Release
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart continues to attract bullish technical and style-score commentary, with multiple outlets calling it a long-term momentum name. Why Walmart (WMT) is a Top Momentum Stock for the Long-Term
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that grocery and restaurant prices are rising may support Walmart’s value proposition and traffic, since consumers often trade down to lower-cost retailers during inflationary periods. Grocery and Restaurant Prices Post Biggest Jump Since 2022
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart is cutting or relocating about 1,000 corporate jobs as part of a broader restructuring and tech-focused operating simplification. The move could improve efficiency over time, but it also signals ongoing internal change. Walmart cutting or relocating about 1,000 corporate jobs
• Neutral Sentiment: Several recent articles highlighted continued restructuring and AI/technology investment, which may help long-term competitiveness but does not change the near-term earnings outlook by itself. Walmart Cuts Hundreds Of Corporate Jobs As AI-Driven Efficiency Push Accelerates: Report

Walmart Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $132.46 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $91.89 and a 1 year high of $134.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The business's 50-day moving average is $126.30 and its 200-day moving average is $119.06. The company has a market capitalization of $1.06 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.34, a P/E/G ratio of 4.89 and a beta of 0.65.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released 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 return on equity of 21.44% and a net margin of 3.07%.The business had revenue of $190.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $188.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.66 earnings per share. The firm's 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. Equities research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

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 dividend of $0.2475 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. Walmart's dividend payout ratio is currently 36.13%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently commented on WMT. Argus upgraded shares of Walmart to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Oppenheimer restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $140.00 price objective (up from $125.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, February 9th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $147.00 target price (up from $135.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Mizuho upped their price target on Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $150.00 price target on Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $138.67.

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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