BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S Sells 454,777 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• BI Asset Management cut its Walmart position by 46.3% in the first quarter, selling 454,777 shares and leaving it with 527,094 shares worth about $65.5 million.
• Walmart continues to draw mostly positive analyst and business momentum, with reports pointing to stronger Walmart International sales, e-commerce growth, marketplace expansion, and faster fulfillment. Analysts currently rate the stock Moderate Buy with a consensus target price of $138.85.
• The company is also facing legal and regulatory scrutiny, including a proposed California class-action lawsuit over alleged AI-driven gas price inflation and pressure from Chinese regulators on Sam’s Club food-safety and supply-chain controls.

BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S decreased its holdings in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 46.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 527,094 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 454,777 shares during the period. Walmart makes up about 0.7% of BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S's portfolio, making the stock its 27th biggest position. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S's holdings in Walmart were worth $65,502,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Orser Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Walmart by 1.0% in the first quarter. Orser Capital Management LLC now owns 23,474 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,917,000 after buying an additional 236 shares in the last quarter. Uhlmann Price Securities LLC raised its stake in Walmart by 287.6% during the first quarter. Uhlmann Price Securities LLC now owns 23,051 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,827,000 after acquiring an additional 17,104 shares in the last quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Walmart by 18.3% during the first quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 4,763 shares of the retailer's stock worth $592,000 after acquiring an additional 736 shares in the last quarter. Lexington Hill Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 44.6% in the first quarter. Lexington Hill Partners LLC now owns 2,902 shares of the retailer's stock worth $361,000 after acquiring an additional 895 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Diversified Trust Co lifted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 7.6% in the first quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 107,178 shares of the retailer's stock worth $13,320,000 after acquiring an additional 7,585 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart announced a nationwide effort with Sam’s Club to help Medicare beneficiaries understand new prescription drug coverage options tied to weight management and chronic care, reinforcing its healthcare and pharmacy services strategy.
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is integrating Walmart Connect and Sam’s Club advertising operations into one framework, a move that signals continued growth and better monetization of its ad business.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary highlighted improving Walmart International sales, supported by store gains, e-commerce growth, marketplace expansion, and faster fulfillment, suggesting momentum in a key segment.
• Neutral Sentiment: EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares at an average price of $118.19 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan; the sale was small relative to his holdings and is typically viewed as routine insider activity.
• Negative Sentiment: California consumers filed a proposed class-action lawsuit alleging Walmart and other retailers used an AI pricing tool to illegally raise gas prices, creating potential legal, regulatory, and reputational risk.
• Negative Sentiment: Reuters reported Walmart was among gas-station operators sued over allegations of AI-driven pump-price inflation in California, adding another legal headline that could pressure sentiment.
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart also faces scrutiny in China, where regulators ordered Sam’s Club to strengthen food-safety controls and supply-chain inspections, adding operational pressure in an important international market.

Insider Activity at Walmart

In related news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 125,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,985,527.94. This trade represents a 8.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total value of $359,368.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 577,853 shares in the company, valued at $71,607,543.76. The trade was a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 120,146 shares of company stock valued at $14,835,898 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WMT has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Truist Financial set a $140.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. BMO Capital Markets reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. KeyCorp restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 target price (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, June 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $138.85.

Walmart Stock Performance

Walmart stock opened at $117.18 on Tuesday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $124.37 and a 200-day moving average of $122.15. The company has a market capitalization of $932.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.12, a P/E/G ratio of 4.37 and a beta of 0.60. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $94.23 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.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.66. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.61 EPS. The firm's 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. On average, equities research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share 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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