Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 3,532,526 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $400,094,000.
Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Norges Bank bought a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at about $6,458,529,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in Walmart in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,905,655,000. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Walmart by 188.1% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,663,172 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,199,907,000 after acquiring an additional 7,614,172 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $796,677,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 54.0% during the 2nd quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 18,607,297 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,107,462,000 after purchasing an additional 6,525,224 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.
Walmart Trading Up 0.4%
Shares of WMT opened at $103.09 on Friday. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $95.79 and a 1 year high of $135.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $111.90 and a 200-day simple moving average of $120.45. The stock has a market cap of $820.40 billion, a PE ratio of 37.22, a PEG ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.61.
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.83% and a net margin of 3.00%.Walmart's revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.68 EPS. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of research firms have recently issued reports on WMT. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on Walmart from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 21st. BTIG Research reduced their target price on Walmart from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $125.00 price target (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Walmart from $147.00 to $132.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $126.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Walmart has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $131.88.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on WMT
Insider Buying and Selling
In other Walmart news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of Walmart 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 approximately $14,985,527.94. This trade represents a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.34, for a total transaction of $308,386.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 569,153 shares in the company, valued at $60,523,730.02. This represents a 0.51% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 77,292 shares of company stock valued at $8,421,143. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Walmart News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Walmart’s fiscal second-quarter results showed continued momentum beyond traditional store sales: revenue reached approximately $187.9 billion, global e-commerce grew 23%, and advertising revenue increased 38%. These higher-growth businesses could support future margins and cash flow. Walmart Growth Engine Hums
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary continue to point to Walmart’s expanding e-commerce, digital advertising, memberships, convenience-led fulfillment, automation and AI initiatives as reasons the recent decline could represent a long-term buying opportunity. Walmart’s scale and value-focused pricing remain important competitive advantages. Walmart Continues to Grow Beyond Retail
- Neutral Sentiment: Walmart settled a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit alleging that its pharmacies unlawfully contributed to the opioid epidemic. Resolving the case removes an overhang and reduces legal uncertainty, although the financial terms and any broader implications remain important for investors. Walmart Settles U.S. Opioid Lawsuit
- Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage highlights a potentially tougher consumer environment. Walmart’s comparable sales growth was 3.4% excluding pharmacy-related items, while middle-income shoppers appear increasingly focused on necessities and limiting discretionary purchases. Walmart and Home Depot Results
- Negative Sentiment: Investors are also questioning whether Walmart’s valuation adequately reflects its strong performance. A high earnings multiple, slower core sales growth and the stock’s position below its moving averages have amplified the impact of the recent selloff. Walmart Selloff Analysis
- Negative Sentiment: Executive Vice President Daniel Danker sold 50,644 shares worth approximately $5.3 million. The sale was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan to cover taxes on vested equity awards, making it a weaker bearish signal than discretionary insider selling. Walmart Insider Trading Filing
About Walmart
(
Free Report)
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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