Bessemer Group Inc. Has $535.95 Million Stock Position in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Bessemer Group Inc. increased its Walmart stake by 1.5% in the first quarter, ending with 4.31 million shares worth about $535.95 million. Walmart is now Bessemer’s 19th-largest holding and makes up roughly 0.8% of its portfolio.
• Institutional interest in Walmart remains strong, with several large funds adding to positions and 26.76% of shares now held by institutional investors and hedge funds.
• Walmart reported solid quarterly results, including EPS of $0.66 that matched estimates and revenue of $177.75 billion that topped expectations, while analysts still largely rate the stock a Moderate Buy with a consensus price target of $138.85.

Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 1.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,312,421 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 65,445 shares during the period. Walmart makes up about 0.8% of Bessemer Group Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position. Bessemer Group Inc. owned about 0.05% of Walmart worth $535,949,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of WMT. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Walmart by 1.0% during the fourth 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 period. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Walmart by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 184,805,978 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $19,046,104,000 after purchasing an additional 2,242,364 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Walmart by 6.8% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 103,010,709 shares of the retailer's stock worth $11,426,753,000 after purchasing an additional 6,517,394 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter worth $6,458,529,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walmart by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,626,852 shares of the retailer's stock worth $4,526,238,000 after purchasing an additional 328,229 shares during the period. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s back-to-school push is getting attention as the retailer highlights its lowest prices since 2019 on popular school items, which could help drive traffic and sales into the important seasonal shopping period. Walmart Helps Americans Navigate Their Annual Back-to-School Reset with Unmatched Value, Convenience and Style
• Positive Sentiment: June retail sales rose modestly, suggesting consumers are still spending and reinforcing Walmart’s value-oriented appeal as shoppers look for lower prices on essentials. Retail Sales Hold Up as Walmart and Amazon Go Back to School
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart also announced a partnership with General Mills and ADM to expand regenerative agriculture across 40,000 Midwest wheat acres, a long-term supply-chain and sustainability initiative that may support the company’s brand and sourcing strategy. General Mills, ADM, Walmart Partner to Accelerate Regenerative Agriculture Across 40,000 Midwest Wheat Acres
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts continue to flag Walmart’s premium valuation, with a forward P/E around 36.7x, which suggests investors expect strong execution but also leaves less room for disappointment. Walmart Commands a 36.74X Forward P/E: Is the Stock Worth Buying?
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary on Walmart’s AI-related hiring plans highlights the company’s investment in automation and digital tools, but it does not appear to materially change near-term earnings expectations. Walmart's people chief says these 10 jobs are still hot in the age of AI
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market volatility and articles comparing Walmart with other defensive stocks add context, but they are not direct catalysts for the shares. 3 Stocks to Own When the Market Gets Ugly in July
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart’s stock has also recently been under pressure on a day when the broader market was firmer, underscoring some investor caution around the name despite its defensive profile. Walmart (WMT) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: Here's Why

Walmart Trading Up 2.2%

WMT stock opened at $114.95 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $94.43 and a 1-year high of $135.15. The firm has a market cap of $914.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.33, a P/E/G ratio of 4.19 and a beta of 0.60. The business's 50 day moving average is $119.14 and its 200-day moving average is $122.10. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.19, for a total value of $342,751.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 574,953 shares in the company, valued at approximately $67,953,695.07. The trade was a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total value of $1,435,203.96. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,985,527.94. This represents a 8.74% 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. Insiders have sold 87,145 shares of company stock worth $10,691,920 in the last quarter. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently commented on WMT. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $137.00 price objective (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 target price (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. KeyCorp restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and issued a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $138.85.

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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