Capital World Investors Boosts Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Capital World Investors boosted its Walmart stake by 149.5% in the fourth quarter, adding 2.53 million shares and bringing its total to 4.22 million shares worth about $470.1 million.
• Several other institutional investors also increased or initiated positions in Walmart, while hedge funds and other institutions now own 26.76% of the company.
• Walmart’s latest earnings matched expectations at $0.66 EPS on revenue of $177.75 billion, and analysts remain generally positive with a Moderate Buy consensus and average target price of $138.85.

Capital World Investors lifted its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 149.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,219,435 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 2,527,942 shares during the quarter. Capital World Investors owned 0.05% of Walmart worth $470,087,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of WMT. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Collier Financial purchased a new position in Walmart in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP purchased a new position in Walmart in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Walmart in the third quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Walmart by 57.4% in the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.96, for a total transaction of $1,600,725.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 687,287 shares in the company, valued at approximately $83,821,522.52. This represents a 1.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 1,335 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.63, for a total transaction of $166,381.05. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 636,843 shares of the company's stock, valued at $79,369,743.09. This trade represents a 0.21% 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. Insiders have sold a total of 117,008 shares of company stock valued at $14,492,704 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WMT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Tigress Financial reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $155.00 target price (up from $150.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, May 29th. BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Freedom Capital raised Walmart from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane dropped their target price on Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $138.85.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart saw unusually heavy call-option buying, with traders purchasing 174,648 calls, about 43% above average volume. That suggests some investors are betting on a rebound or near-term upside.
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart expanded its delivery business by adding Subway meals to its Express Delivery offering, allowing customers to order freshly made food through the Walmart app or website and receive it in as little as 30 minutes. The move could help Walmart boost order frequency, strengthen its convenience proposition, and take a larger share of meal budgets. Walmart Adds Express Delivery From In-Store Restaurants, Starting With Subway®
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholders backed Walmart’s 2026 annual meeting results, and management highlighted strong FY26 performance and its omnichannel model, reinforcing confidence in the company’s growth strategy. Walmart Announces 2026 Annual Shareholders' Meeting Voting Results

Walmart Stock Performance

NASDAQ WMT opened at $118.88 on Monday. 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 Inc. has a 1 year low of $93.43 and a 1 year high of $135.15. The company has a market capitalization of $946.06 billion, a PE ratio of 41.71, a P/E/G ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a fifty day moving average of $125.62 and a two-hundred day moving average of $121.20.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.66. Walmart had a net margin of 3.13% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.61 earnings per share. Walmart'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. As a group, analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

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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