Generali Asset Management SPA SGR Lowers Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• Generali Asset Management reduced its Walmart stake by 17% in the fourth quarter, selling 30,779 shares and leaving it with 150,423 shares valued at about $16.76 million.
• Walmart reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $0.74 versus $0.73 expected and revenue of $190.66 billion versus $188.37 billion estimated. Revenue rose 5.6% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains bullish, with several firms raising price targets and the consensus rating staying at “Buy” with an average target of $138.09, above the stock’s recent trading level around $130.

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR trimmed its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 17.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 150,423 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 30,779 shares during the period. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR's holdings in Walmart were worth $16,759,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Collier Financial purchased a new position in shares of Walmart during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walmart during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Walmart by 57.4% during the fourth quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 288 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. 26.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walmart Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of Walmart stock opened at $130.20 on Friday. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $125.91 and its 200-day simple moving average is $118.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.04 trillion, a PE ratio of 47.52, a P/E/G ratio of 4.85 and a beta of 0.65. Walmart Inc. has a 1-year low of $91.89 and a 1-year high of $134.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.24.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The retailer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $190.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $188.37 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.07% and a return on equity of 21.44%. The company's revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.66 EPS. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 0.610-0.610 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.2475 per share. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. Walmart's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.13%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other news, CEO John R. Furner sold 13,125 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 687,287 shares in the company, valued at $83,821,522.52. This trade represents a 1.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director C Douglas Mcmillon sold 19,416 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.71, for a total transaction of $2,460,201.36. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,023,209 shares in the company, valued at $509,780,812.39. This represents a 0.48% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 167,195 shares of company stock worth $20,975,804. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Key Walmart News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BTIG raised its price target to $145 and issued a buy rating, signaling more upside from sell‑side research which can attract momentum buyers and support the stock. BTIG price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: BTIG also issued a positive forecast for WMT, reinforcing the buy case from analysts and likely contributing to investor confidence. BTIG Research Issues Positive Forecast for Walmart
• Positive Sentiment: CNBC reports that higher‑earners are disproportionately driving Walmart’s stock strength this year — a shift that suggests resilience in discretionary spend at WMT and helps explain recent multiple expansion. Walmart has been on fire this year
• Positive Sentiment: Fisher Asset Management boosted its Walmart stake by ~350,904 shares, an institutional buy that signals confidence and can support the share price via flows. Fisher Asset Management Boosts Walmart Stake
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage remembering Walmart’s long-term dividend and total‑return track record supports buy‑and‑hold sentiment among income investors. Walmart Has Rewarded Patient Investors
• Neutral Sentiment: Barron’s warns upcoming retail earnings (including Walmart’s) will be watched for signs of consumer stress amid high gas prices — a macro read that could swing sentiment either way depending on results. Retail Earnings Will Show How Much Pressure Consumers Are Under
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart Canada launched a $1M donation campaign with Children’s Miracle Network — positive PR but unlikely to move the stock materially. Walmart Canada and Children's Miracle Network Rally Canadians
• Neutral Sentiment: A smallholder (RWWM, Inc.) trimmed its stake by ~2,388 shares — a minor position change that doesn’t meaningfully alter institutional ownership trends. RWWM Trims Walmart Stake
• Negative Sentiment: Seeking Alpha argues Walmart’s current valuation is hard to justify, flagging risk of multiple contraction if growth disappoints — a narrative that can pressure the stock. Walmart: Tough To Justify This Valuation
• Negative Sentiment: Business Insider reports operational friction after Walmart partially reversed cart‑handling rules following safety concerns — a sign of execution/worker‑safety issues that could draw short‑term negative attention. Walmart changes cart rules for workers

Analyst Ratings Changes

WMT has been the topic of several research reports. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $127.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Guggenheim raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $120.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Argus upgraded shares of Walmart to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $138.09.

Walmart 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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