Bleakley Financial Group LLC Purchases 18,266 Shares of Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Bleakley Financial Group LLC increased its Walmart stake by 13.3% in the fourth quarter, buying 18,266 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 155,605 shares worth about $17.3 million.
• Walmart’s latest quarter showed solid operating performance, with EPS of $0.66 matching estimates and revenue of $177.75 billion beating expectations; revenue rose 7.4% year over year.
• Despite the earnings beat, the stock faced pressure from cautious forward guidance and concerns about inflation and fuel costs, even as analysts remained generally positive with a consensus Moderate Buy rating.

Bleakley Financial Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 13.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 155,605 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 18,266 shares during the quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC's holdings in Walmart were worth $17,336,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in WMT. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position 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 acquiring an additional 7,614,172 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Walmart by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 439,957,146 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $49,015,626,000 after acquiring an additional 4,304,436 shares in the last quarter. Amundi lifted its position in Walmart by 20.5% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 23,497,921 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,413,236,000 after acquiring an additional 4,004,277 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S bought a new stake in Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at $294,621,000. Finally, Axxcess Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Walmart by 1,061.8% in the 4th quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,042,724 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $338,989,000 after acquiring an additional 2,780,817 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $120.27 on Tuesday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $126.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $120.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.24. Walmart Inc. has a one year low of $93.43 and a one year high of $135.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $958.67 billion, a PE ratio of 42.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.45 and a beta of 0.65.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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 firm had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $174.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.61 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. 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 analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart posted strong first-quarter revenue of $177.8 billion, up 7.3% year over year, with global e-commerce sales jumping 26% and advertising growing 37%, reinforcing the company’s growth beyond traditional retail. Walmart Stock Fell After Its Earnings Beat. Is the Post-Earnings Dip a Buying Opportunity?
• Positive Sentiment: UBS said its long-term view on Walmart’s higher-margin “second P&L” remains intact, highlighting advertising, marketplace fees, and membership income as key growth drivers. Walmart price target lowered by UBS as Q1 results miss elevated expectations
• Positive Sentiment: Higher gasoline prices could support Walmart’s value-focused traffic, as consumers tend to trade down to low-price retailers when inflation and fuel costs rise. Walmart CEO issues blunt message on rising fuel prices
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS lowered its price target to $141 from $147 after the quarter, but still kept a constructive longer-term stance, suggesting the report was good but not enough to justify prior elevated expectations. Walmart price target lowered by UBS as Q1 results miss elevated expectations
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary largely focused on whether Walmart’s strong e-commerce and membership growth can keep offsetting a more cautious consumer backdrop. Walmart's Q1 Sales Jump 7.3%: Can E-commerce Sustain 26% Growth?
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart’s cautious second-quarter guidance and pressure from rising fuel costs were cited as a reason the stock sold off after earnings, despite the upbeat revenue results. Walmart Stock Fell After Its Earnings Beat. Is the Post-Earnings Dip a Buying Opportunity?
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley also turned more cautious on Walmart amid high inflation, reinforcing concerns that margins and near-term upside may be limited after the recent run-up. Morgan Stanley resets Walmart forecast on high inflation
• Negative Sentiment: Reports of senior executive departures after John Furner’s arrival added a small layer of leadership uncertainty, though this appears less important than the earnings and outlook issues. Walmart Sees Executives Depart Following New CEO's Arrival

Analyst Ratings Changes

WMT has been the topic of several research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $137.00 price objective (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday. BNP Paribas Exane cut their price objective on shares of Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Erste Group Bank raised shares of Walmart from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Argus raised shares of Walmart to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $145.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $138.71.

Insider Activity

In other Walmart news, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,250 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.77, for a total transaction of $167,212.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 635,593 shares of the company's stock, valued at $85,023,275.61. The trade was a 0.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.08, for a total transaction of $1,628,550.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 661,037 shares in the company, valued at $82,021,470.96. This trade represents a 1.95% 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 126,008 shares of company stock worth $15,896,715. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WMT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.