Catalyst Funds Management Pty Ltd Makes New Investment in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Catalyst Funds Management Pty Ltd opened a new position in Walmart, buying 133,200 shares valued at about $14.84 million. The stake now makes up roughly 3.4% of its portfolio and is its sixth-largest holding.
• Walmart’s latest quarterly results were solid, with EPS of $0.66 matching estimates and revenue of $177.75 billion topping forecasts. Revenue rose 7.4% year over year, and the company lifted its FY 2027 guidance.
• Despite the earnings beat, the stock was down about 0.9% and investors remain focused on guidance and margin pressure. Analysts are still broadly positive, with a consensus Moderate Buy rating and average price target of $138.71.

Catalyst Funds Management Pty Ltd bought a new position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 133,200 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $14,840,000. Walmart accounts for approximately 3.4% of Catalyst Funds Management Pty Ltd's portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest holding.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Collier Financial bought a new stake in Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new stake in Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Walmart in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Walmart Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:WMT opened at $120.27 on Friday. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $126.77 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $120.03. The firm has a market cap of $958.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.20, a PEG ratio of 4.45 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.24 and a current ratio of 0.77. Walmart Inc. has a 52-week low of $93.43 and a 52-week high of $135.15.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The business had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.61 earnings per share. 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, research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Trending Headlines about Walmart

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart posted solid first-quarter results, with revenue of $177.8 billion and EPS of $0.66, while e-commerce sales rose 26% and advertising revenue jumped 37%, highlighting continued strength in digital and membership-driven businesses.
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts remained constructive after earnings: Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating and said Walmart is well positioned to gain share in a price-sensitive environment, while BTIG and BNP Paribas Exane also kept positive ratings despite modestly trimming price targets.
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart disclosed pre-arranged insider sales by CEO John Furner and EVP Christopher James Nicholas, but both transactions were made under 10b5-1 plans, which typically limits how much investors read into them.
• Neutral Sentiment: News reports also noted leadership changes, including the departure of Sam’s Club COO Tom Ward and U.S. stores EVP Cedric Clark, adding some uncertainty but not appearing to change the company’s near-term operating outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Shares weakened after Walmart issued second-quarter EPS guidance below consensus and reaffirmed full-year targets that also came in below Wall Street expectations, prompting concerns that margin pressure could continue.
• Negative Sentiment: Management said elevated fuel prices are pressuring both consumers and Walmart’s own costs, reinforcing worries that spending could soften and profitability could stay under pressure in the coming quarters.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In related news, EVP Christopher James Nicholas sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total transaction of $359,368.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 577,853 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $71,607,543.76. This trade represents a 0.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.21, for a total value of $2,566,989.36. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,193,995 shares of the company's stock, valued at $554,488,078.95. The trade was a 0.46% 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 quarter, insiders sold 126,008 shares of company stock valued at $15,896,715. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on WMT shares. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $137.00 target price (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research report on Friday. Mizuho upped their target price on Walmart from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. UBS Group set a $141.00 target price on Walmart and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday. DA Davidson set a $150.00 price target on Walmart and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane cut their target price on Walmart from $147.00 to $146.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $138.71.

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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